wizarding numbers

[o_caipora]

No: HPFGUIDX 83630

"manawydan" [Ffred] wrote:

> There seems to be a strong element running through canon 
> that the money supply is in the hands of Gringott and 
> the goblins - they employ wizards as curse breakers to get
> access to hoards, and coins are valid by virtue of
> having a maker's mark on them. 

It might not only be the *Wizarding* currency supply that is under 
control of the Goblins.

The Great Depression was prolonged by Herbert Hoover's unwillingness 
to abandon the gold standard.

He made his fortune as an international mining engineer. He 
specialized in finding sites for gold mines.

He translated from the Latin the book _De re metallica_ by Georg 
Agricola, which at its publication in 1556 was the finest book on 
mining technology, and continued to be an important reference for 
centuries.

Agricola also wrote an apparently entirely serious book on the gnomes 
or goblins of mines. [L. Sprague de Camp discusses this in his "The 
Ancient Engineers" but I can't find an online reference].

Those familiar with conspiracy theory can see the connection: Young 
mining engineer finds medieval Latin text on mining - and another by 
same author with arcane knowledge of Goblins; enters into contact 
with Goblins and obtains locations of hidden gold deposits in 
exchange for a promise to be redeemed in the future; becomes rich and 
powerful; and his promise is called in and he is forced to maintain 
gold as currency.

Yes, it's an old, sad story.

More seriously, however:

> . . . the
> Ministry's got to have some other way of paying its employees. 

We saw fairy gold at the Quiddich World Cup, and Bagman paid off Fred 
and George's bet with it. It was created by magic, and vanished in a 
day. I think we can safely take that as Rowling's view of money made 
by magic.

The WW's economy is a puzzle, but some things are absolutely clear. 
There are rich and poor, and "poor" is a real "poor": Ron has hand-me-
down clothes, and dress robes with lace cuffs, which sounds dreadful 
even for boys used to running around in dresses - sorry, I meant 
robes. There's absolute want in the Weasley family, not "smaller 
mansion than the neighbor's" want. 

Books and robes and wands cost money. If money could be made with a 
wave of the wand, why would anyone lack it, and why would anyone 
accept it in exchange for products? 

Catlady wrote: 

> > Which leads me to wonder how
> > many people are needed for a professional Quidditch team --- seven
> > starting players and how many reserves? One or more coaches?
    [. . .]
> > Talent scouts, ticket sellers,
> > groundskeepers, ushers, food and souvenir vendors 
    [. . .]
> > -- how many  stadia
> > are there? (COuld there be only one, gov't-owned, stadium, so 
> > that no two matches could take place at the same time?)

In my city, there are a half dozen to a dozen professional soccer 
teams (most people can name them all). Some have their own stadiums, 
one of which is the largest in town. There's also a municipal 
stadium. 

Granted, it's one of the largest of cities. But not all that long ago 
a baseball team was not that expensive a proposition. When Babe Ruth 
was asked about his salary being higher that President Hoover's [you 
knew he'd turn up again], Ruth answered "I had a better year than he 
did." How many of the Yankees starting lineup made more than George 
Bush this year?

The costs of Quiddich may be closer to those of Babe Ruth era 
baseball than modern American pro football. We're never told that 
salaries are bloated. Than many boys at Hogwarts aspire to be 
professional Quiddich players tells us more about boys than it does 
about salaries.

 - Caipora