
The proposed Prices,often differing exceedingly from those given in the Game-books, are based on real-world prices in medieval England and to some degree early medieval and late roman europe.
This assumption is based on the hypothesis that Middle-Earth's Currency or Money-system is based on the real world currency of medieval and late roman Britain:
- Fourpenny (Silver) and similar coins (Kreuzer, Groten, Witten, Stüber etc.) = 4 pence (ca 64 cp))
- 1 Denarius (Silver) = 1 penny (Silver) = 4 farthings or Sestertii (Bronze/Brass) (ca 16 cp)
- 1 Sestertius = 4 Asses (Bronze/Copper) (ca 4 cp)
- 1 As = 4 Quadrans ( Copper "Quarters") (ca 1 cp)
other medieval currencies:
- carolingian pound (silver) = 240 Denarii or Pence (ca 64 cp)
- 1 pound = 20 shillings (ca 4000 cp)
- 1 mark = 13s 4d (ca 2500 cp)
- 1 Ducat = nine shillings and four pence (ca 260 cp)
- 1 crown = 5 shillings (ca 1000 cp)
- 1 shilling = 12 pence (ca 200 cp)
- 1 Heller (copper coin) = 2 Pence (ca 32 cp)
Barter-trade:
Within many cultures the basic currency were not regular coins but real assets such as a Slave, a Cow, a Horse or a Knife.In early medieval Ireland the basic units were seoit and Cumal:
- 1 sét = 1 iron Dagger or a half Cow (ca. 130 cp)
- 6 sét = 1 Cumal (Slave-girl) (ca. 800 cp)
- 1 Cumal = 3-6 Cows = 3 ounces Silver = 7 years of Work done by a strong Woman = 6-8 Seoit = the seventh part of the wergild to pay for a Freeman
Metal values:
Of course metal values varied extremely throughout the ages and between regions.The following values are a theoretical standard used for calculating metal prices in late Arnor:
- 1 ounce Mithril = 300 oz gold (120.000 cp)
- Galnin = ca. 1.5 oz Gold (600 cp)
- 1 ounce gold = ca.8 oz silver (400 cp)
- 1 ounce silver = ca.0.125 oz gold = ca. 50 oz brass (8 cp)
- 1 ounce brass = ca. 2 oz copper = ca. 0.02 oz silver (8 cp)
- 1 ounce bronze = ca.25 oz brass = 12.5 oz copper (50 cp)
- 1 ounce copper = ca. 0,5 oz brass = 2 oz tin (ca 4 cp)
- 1 ounce tin = ca. 0.5 oz copper = (ca 2 cp)
- 1 ounce Pewter =
- 1 ounce zinc = 2.5 oz tin = 10 oz lead (ca 5 cp)
- 1 ounce lead = 0.1 oz zinc (ca. 0.5 cp)
- Mithgîn =
Food[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated price |
---|---|---|---|---|
light meal | 1 cp | |||
normal meal | 2 cp | |||
excellent meal | (12 cp) | |||
hard tack /Sea bread, 1 week, 2,5 lbs | (50 cp) | |||
Waybread, 1 month, 5 lbs | (200 cp) | |||
cider, 1 pint, | 3cp | |||
berryjuice, 1 pint | 2 cp | |||
Ale, 1 pint | 6 cp | |||
Brandy, 1 pint | 1 cp | |||
Mead, 1 pint | 2 cp | |||
Milk, 1 pint | 2 cp | |||
Wine, 1 pint | 12 cp | |||
Tongkûn, 1 Barrel | (up to 1000 cp) | |||
Egg, chicken | 1 cp | |||
grain, 100 l | 200 cp according to need and quality (but up to 25 DD (!) In times of extreme need and bad harvests) | |||
provisions, 1 week, 8lbs | 32 cp | |||
provisions for the road, 1 week, 14 lbs | 64 cp |
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Simple quarter, one night | 2 cp | |||
Good quarter, one night | 4 cp- | |||
Exclusive quarter, one night | 16 cp | |||
Animals[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pony | 3 sp | 3 sp | 46 cp = 3 sp (Hobbit Ponies seem to have been quite cheap in Breeland) | |
mule | 3 sp | 50 cp | ||
donkey | 32 sp | |||
Horse, light | 200 cp | |||
Horse, medium | 400 cp | |||
Horse, heavy | 500 cp | |||
War horse, light | 1200 cpp | |||
War horse, great | 10.000 cp | |||
Camel | 160 cp | |||
Light oliphaunt | 2240 sp - 88 Mirianath (ca. 40.000 cp) |
traveling and vessels[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | Estimated Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ferry, mile | 8 cp (64 cp for a Horseman) | |||
Coach, mile | 5 cp | |||
Small wain, 8 ft | 500 cp | |||
Boat, small, 10 ft | 160 cp | |||
Boat, medium, 20 ft | 1000 cp | |||
Boat, large, 30 ft | 5000 cp | |||
ship, cog | 2.500.000 cp |
ranged weapons[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Crossbow | 100 cp | |||
Composite bow | 80 cp | |||
Longbow | 70 cp | |||
Shortbow | 40 cp | |||
Sling | 4 cp |
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated Price |
Arrows | 50 cp (per dozen) | |||
Bolts | 80 cp (per dozen) |
Blades[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated Price |
Dagger, Long knife | 140 cp | |||
Broadsword | 2000 cp | |||
Longsword | 3000 cp | |||
Short Sword | 700 cp | |||
Scimitar | 2000 cp | |||
Two-handed sword | 1500 cp |
blunt weapons and pole-arms[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | estimated Price |
Bola | 150 cp | |||
Battle-axe, one handed | 400 cp | |||
Battle-axe, two handed | 800 cp | |||
Club | 150 cp | |||
Halberd / Poleaxe | 400 cp | |||
Lance | 200 cp | |||
Mace | 300 | |||
Morning star | 400 cp | |||
Quarterstaff | 16 cp | |||
Spear | 300 cp | |||
Javelin | 400 | |||
War-Flail | 500 cp | |||
War-hammer | 350 cp | |||
Net, Combat | 70 sp | |||
Whip | 20 cp |
Equipment[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | Estimated Price |
Quiver | 12 cp | |||
scabbard, shortblade | 70 cp | |||
scabbard, longblade/two handed | 120 cp | |||
Weapon Belt | 60 cp | |||
Pack, no frame | 50 cp | |||
back frame | 80 cp | |||
bag | 6 cp | |||
rope (50 ft) | 10 cp | |||
rope (160 ft) | 30 cp | |||
rope (50 ft), excellent | 40 cp | |||
skis | 60 cp | |||
bow drill | 30 cp | |||
picklock | 30 cp | |||
candle (1lb) | 8 cp | |||
torch | 2 cp | |||
lantern, metal | 16 cp | |||
oil flask | 15 cp | |||
glass bottle | 12 cp | |||
stitching-awl | 4 cp | |||
yarn | 23 cp | |||
flintstone/Cinder | 4 cp | |||
clamps/Rods | 20 cp | |||
pole/Picket | 1 cp | |||
waterskin/Goatskin/Wineskin | 10 cp | |||
duvet (Wool) | 30 cp | |||
canvas (5ft x 8 ft) | 15 cp | |||
large tent (4 persons)) | 100 cp | |||
small tent (2 persons) | 70 cp |
Armour[]
|-
|-Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | Estimated Price |
arm braces, leather (Bracer/arm-guard) | 20 cp | |||
arm braces, metal (Vambrace/Forearm Guards) | 40 cp | |||
leg armour, leather | 60 cp | |||
leg armour, metal (Poleyn/Greave) | 200 cp | |||
leather armour | 100 cp | |||
studded leather (Brigandine) | 300 cp | |||
chain-mail (Hauberk) | 2000 cp | |||
plate-mail | 1600 cp | |||
helm, leather (Cap) | 70 cp | |||
helm, metal | 160 cp | |||
shield, normal | 250 cp |
Clothes[]
Item | MERP | LOTR RPG | LOTRO | Estimated Price |
Belt | 40 cp | |||
Sandals | 12 cp | |||
Boots, normal, fine leather | 40 cp | |||
Boots, normal, rigid leather | 60 | |||
Boots, high, fine leather | 100 cp | |||
Cap, simple | 12 cp | |||
Cap, fine | 60 cp | |||
Gloves, soft | 90 cp | |||
Gloves, rigid | 60 cp | |||
Shirt/Tunic | 40 cp | |||
tabard | 120 cp | |||
Jacket, simple | 40 cp | |||
Jacket, fur-lined | 120 cp | |||
Trousers | 10 cp | |||
Dress, simple | 15 cp | |||
Dress, fine | 120 cp | |||
Cloak, simple | 20 cp | |||
Cloak, fur-lined | 300 cp | |||
mantle | 90 cp |
Converting prices[]
The only actual price known from Middle-Earth is the price for a Pony in Breeland which was 3 silverpennies, so the value of a Pony/light Horse is generally a good aid to orientation for converting real-world to Middle-Earth prices.According to the History of Middle-Earth in Gondor a Tharni was a Silverfarthing, worth the fourth part of a Castar or Canath, a canath on the other hand was the fourth part of a Goldcoin known as the Mirian.
Still a stability in value should not be taken for granted, price fluctuations up to 400% were no rarity in medieval times, therefore conversion remains difficult.Even if the silverpenny in Breeland would have been equivalent in size and weight to a heavy historical coin such as the Thaler, it seems that the value of a silvercoin still must have been at last thrice of that of a silverpenny in late medieval britain, or the other way around the price for horses was only a third of what it would have been. Also gold, historically, most likely would have been 10 times as valuable as silver and silver ca. 20 times as valuable as Bronze or copper and 30 times as valuable as brass, there is no way far less valuable coins of brass or copper could have had the quarter value of a silver coin of the same size.So both must have had far graeter value in Middle-earth.