Re: OT: coins and currency (was: [Theory] Types of numerals)

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, "Mark J. Reed" <markjreed@M...> wrote:
> [snip]
> ...  There are competing goals: ... [snip] ..., while at the
> same time minimzing the number of coins needed to represent any
> given value.
> [snip]
> Have y'all designed currency systems for your cultures?
Yes.
The minimum expected number of coins required to make change is
achieved when each coin is worth either three or four of the next
smaller coin, and worth one-third or one-quarter of the next larger
coin.
My conculture's currency has each coin either;
three of the next smaller and one-fourth of the next larger, or;
four of the next smaller and one-third of the next larger.
So every coin is worth twelve of those two sizes smaller, and one-
twelfth of a coin two sizes larger.

Tom H.C. in MI