[Dragaera] The Desecrator (spoilers)

[Kenneth Gorelick]

On Mar 8, 2011, at 8:04 PM, Jerry Alan Sayers wrote:

> Sean Whalen wrote:
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>>   How can he pay half an Imperial in base 17?  Is this just a common approximation (usually 8 silver and 9 copper, or something)?
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> Cut the Imperial coin in half.  A common pre-modern/early modern way to make change.
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> Alternately, there is a half-Imperial denominated coin that does not perfectly break down into smaller amounts (except maybe a quarter-imperial coin) minted because it was more efficient (or more prestigious) to carry a small gold coin than a pocketful of silver ones.
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> Or it's a common approximation.  :-)

17 in base 17 is 10. So half of that is 5, isn't it?