HP Currency Converter @ CNN (was) Money, Trips, Cars, and More Money

[Petra Pan]

No: HPFGUIDX 59407

Steve, in part:
> Close but no cigar. The exchange
> rate is G1.00 = 5.00 as stated by
> JKR in an interview. Unfortunately,
> we have no G to $ exchange rate,
> and we have no sense as to what
> factors would cause the Galleon/Pound
> exchange rate to float,  so...
> 
> Brit  = US $1.634
> US $ = 0.612
> 
> So...
> 
> 5.00 x 1.634 = US$8.17 
> 
> Although the exchange rate is down,
> the HP Lexicon says $7.33. The 3
> yr average is 1.55, so...5.00 x
> 1.55 = US $7.75. [for simplicity, I
> always use G1:5:$7. Nice round
> numbers]

Ray, in part:
> But all of this relies on a
> fluctuating Muggle exchange rate for
> GBP:USD.  In the forward to
> Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find
> them, "Dumbledore" writes:
> 
> "...Comic Relief U.K. (which, funnily
> enough, has nothing to do with the 
> American organization of the same
> name)....has raised over 250 million
> dollars since 1985 (that's also 174
> million pounds, or thirty-four
> million, eight hundred and seventy-two
> Galleons, fourteen Sickles, and seven
> Knuts).
> 
> In the forward to Quidditch through
> the Ages, there is a similar passage,
> but using a rounded figure of "34
> million Galleons".
> 
> These figures actually give a direct
> exchange rate of $7.35 = 1 Galleon,
> but for simplicity, I use $7.50.

Speaking of monetary conversions, I 
thought you guys might get a kick out 
of the HARRY POTTER CURRENCY CONVERTER 
on this web page:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/apps/hpcurrconv

This converter from CNN Money gives us 

1 galleon = 4 US Dollars and 82 cents
and
1 US Dollar = 3 sickles and 15 knuts

How CNN Money calculates their figures:

http://money.cnn.com/
2001/10/23/saving/wizard_calc/
(be sure to reconstruct URL!)

Elsewhere at CNN Money:

1 British Pound (GBP)=1.66 US Dollar (USD)
and
1 US Dollar=0.6 British Pound

Is this method of conversion interesting?

Yes.

Is this definitive?

As with all HP numerical issues: 
infinitely debatable.

Petra
a
n  :)

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