Daniel Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I read a statement that claimed there were only two countries in the world with a non-decimal monetary system (Madagascar and Mauritania who each have a system based on units of 5). I am trying to verify this. I don't know of any others, but it is a big wide world out there. Does anybody know of any other countries with a non-decimal (base-10) system? (Note this question applies to systems currently in use.) Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I'm not sure, but I thought that Mauritania was on a decimal system, or variation. Canada and the U.S. (along with US-based currency countries) are the two main countries I can think of that are on a quasi-decimal system, to use an example of a variation (25c instead of 20c) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I am not too sure why would any country use such non-decimal system. Even small island countries, needing the tourist money has to adapt to the decimal system or else things wouldn't work out! As well as, a non-decimal monetary system is just mathematically ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ætheling Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I am not too sure why would any country use such non-decimal system. Even small island countries, needing the tourist money has to adapt to the decimal system or else things wouldn't work out! As well as, a non-decimal monetary system is just mathematically ugly. There is beauty in maths... not necessarily for me because i'm useless at it. But there's something really quaint and oldy-worldy about doing things in non-decimal numbers. Decimal systems are so samey and well to me akin to a room in a house painted all white, clean and functional maybe but it lacks any quirkiness, it's sterile and boring. But that's just me and i'm old fashioned. I always fancied a system doing things in 13s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I'm not sure, but I thought that Mauritania was on a decimal system, or variation. In Mauritania, it is 5 Khoums to the Ougulya. Canada and the U.S. (along with US-based currency countries) are the two main countries I can think of that are on a quasi-decimal system, to use an example of a variation (25c instead of 20c) It is still fully decimal, because there remain 100 cents per dollar. If there was a 13¢ coin, it would be equal to 0.13 dollars. But if there were 13 minor units in one major unit, things would get very interesting! With a base-10 decimal system, you can always slide the decimal point around to calculate. But with a base-5 system (or base-13!) that isn't so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 ...a non-decimal monetary system is just mathematically ugly. Don't tell that to a computer scientist, who works in a base-16 system! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 But that's just me and i'm old fashioned. I always fancied a system doing things in 13s. Jersey had 13 pence to their shilling until ca. 1871. The Penny was 1/13th of a shilling, the halfpenny 1/26th of a shilling, the farthing 1/52nd of a shilling. Scottish Merks were 13/4, or thirteen shillings, fourpence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Not many people know that Russia was the first country to decimalise it's monetary system, during the reign of Petr I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ætheling Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Jersey had 13 pence to their shilling until ca. 1871. The Penny was 1/13th of a shilling, the halfpenny 1/26th of a shilling, the farthing 1/52nd of a shilling. Scottish Merks were 13/4, or thirteen shillings, fourpence. I'd forgotten about Jersey there! I remember reading about that on Harold Fear's site some time back. I suppose a Merk is about as close as it gets to a base system of 13 1/2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 In Mauritania, it is 5 Khoums to the Ougulya. Gotcha! (One of the few times I had to actually look in the book!) Is is interesting that no other coins (ie. 1/10, 1/2) were issued, so that definately is an oddity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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