It Would Be Worth Your Weight in Galleons

[joanne0012]

No: HPFGUIDX 32935

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Whirdy at a... wrote:
 
> In GoF, CF reached into his pocket and took out a bag of 1000 galleons prize 
> that he then gave to HP.  Later, HP nonchalantly donated this bag and its 
> contents to G & FW for their joke shop.
> 
> If one estimates that galleons would have the size and weight befitting their 
> value, then it follows that 1000 of them would not be as portable as 
> indicated and quite bulky.

I agree -- according to the Lexicon (1 galleon is worth a bit over $7 US), the 
current price of gold ($278 per ounce),  and my rough calculations, 1000 
galleons would weigh over  25 pounds. 

> 
> Are there perhaps other denominations of galleons?  A twenty-galleon piece or 
> a hundred?  

But the question then arises -- are galleons based on the coins' instrinsic worth?  
If so, larger-denomination coins would still add up to the same 25-pound weight 
or else be made of something else (platinum? titanium?).  

Actually,  we're going to have to go off into JKR-math-La-La-Land, for now, since 
instrinsic value also means that a single galleon (i.e., $7 worth of gold) would 
weigh under a gram, which is not a practical size for a coin!  

In sum, either we have to stop holding JKR accountable for things quantitative, 
or else she has to hire one of us to do out these sums for her.  I volunteer!