Currencies

[pavero]

Also we can have release price in one currency and budget price in other one.

[Einar Saukas]

Good, but one major flaw, if a currency symbol is prefixed or suffixed is not dependent on the currency code, but on the country and / or language.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_sign

In English, the sign precedes the value (for instance, €10); in most other European languages, the reverse is true (for instance, 10 €).

In The Netherlands prices are usually denoted as: €10
In Belgium prices are usually denoted as: 10€

This not a problem. ZXDB stores the suggested representation in English, but nobody is forced to follow it.

Any Belgium site can chose to exhibit prices as 10€ instead, the same way this site would probably ignore descriptions like "Spanish peseta" and display "Spaanse peseta" instead.

[Einar Saukas]

Also we can have release price in one currency and budget price in other one.

We don't have any case like this. But I'm planning to modify this structure anyway, as part of the changes to support multiple “editions” within the same release (mentioned in the ZXDB roadmap).

Anyway, can anybody tell me what does "budget price" mean exactly?

If it refers to the same title being re-released under a budget label, then it would be more appropriate to list it as a separate price for this other release instead.

If it refers to someone (either original publisher or stores) simply lowering the price of exactly the same package, then what if the price was lowered more than once?

[pavero]

We don't have any case like this. But I'm planning to modify this structure anyway, as part of the changes to support multiple “editions” within the same release (mentioned in the ZXDB roadmap).

Yes, it would be in very rare cases. E.g. Didaktik Kompakt was released in Czechoslovakia (Kčs), but it was also in the market after the year 1993 (Kč/Sk).
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... ik_Kompakt

Anyway, can anybody tell me what does "budget price" mean exactly?

If it refers to someone (either original publisher or stores) simply lowering the price of exactly the same package, then what if the price was lowered more than once?

I would understand it in this way. And yes, there is possible to catch only one discount (the first or last one).

[Einar Saukas]

I suppose all prices in "dinarjev" refer to Yugoslav dinar (YUD) that existed between 1966 and 1989:

Ali Baba - 990 dinarjev
Bajke - 2500 dinarjev
Eurorun - 1490 dinarjev
INES: Urejevalnik Podatkov, Slik in Besedil - 900 dinarjev
Kontrabant - 700 dinarjev
Kontrabant 2 - 1200 dinarjev
Macek Muri Steje in Racuna - 800 dinarjev
Strumpfovi - 1490 dinarjev
Ucimo Se Programirati ZX Spectrum - 880 dinarjev
Vruce Letovanje - 990 dinarjev
Zakladi Slovenije - 1200 dinarjev

Can someone please confirm my assumption?

[Einar Saukas]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Datadrive - about $120
Micro Adventure 8: The Big Freeze - $1.95
Ninjakul in the AUIC Temple - 12.5
Your Game-3 - $6
Z-Shell - $2

[Stefan]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Datadrive - about $120

I think the price quote comes from: https://foro.speccy.org/viewtopic.php?p ... d55#p19872
Since HiLow is from Uruguay and $ is also used as symbol for the Peso, I would guess that U$S is referring to the Uruguayan Peso.

On the other hand, in 1986, 129 UYU was approximately 1 USD - see https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOV ... 51dd6c.pdf

And in that period (1975 - 1993), the Nuevo Peso was in use which had abbreviation N$ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_ ... Nuevo_peso)

So maybe it is referring to US$ after all? Thanks for the treasure hunt

[Stefan]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Micro Adventure 8: The Big Freeze - $1.95

The remark states: "Translated into Portuguese in 1985 (Cz$ 15,00)"
The second page of the book contains a stamp with Cr$ 15.000 - so this would seem to be Brazilian cruzeiro real (BRR), Brazil corroborates with the Portuguese translation.

But is not the BRR, since the BRR was only in use between 1993 and 1994.
But it is the cruzeiro (second) (Cr$) = 1 cruzeiro novo; from 1970 to 1986 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_currency

So the currency code is the BRB.
And in Brazil the thousands separator is a period, so:

The amount is BRB 15000.


This is more fun than guess the screen$

[Ralf]

I suppose all prices in "dinarjev" refer to Yugoslav dinar (YUD) that existed between 1966 and 1989:
Can someone please confirm my assumption?

Yes, "dinarjev" is a grammatical form of dinar.
(I don't speak Serbo-Croatian but it's a Slavic language just like my native Polish so I am 100% sure)

Ninjakul in the AUIC Temple - 12.5
Your Game-3 - $6
Z-Shell - $2

Probably sold for dollars online, so I would say the currency is right.

[+3code]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Datadrive - about $120
Micro Adventure 8: The Big Freeze - $1.95
Ninjakul in the AUIC Temple - 12.5
Your Game-3 - $6
Z-Shell - $2

I think Ninjakul is Euros.

http://www.matranet.net/boutique/zx/nin ... njakul.php

[Rorthron]

BTW one for [mention]kokkiklhs[/mention]?

[Einar Saukas]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Datadrive - about $120

I think the price quote comes from: https://foro.speccy.org/viewtopic.php?p ... d55#p19872

That's it! The extra "S" in "U$S 120" wouldn't make sense in Uruguayan pesos. It probably means USD.

Thanks!

[Einar Saukas]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Micro Adventure 8: The Big Freeze - $1.95

The remark states: "Translated into Portuguese in 1985 (Cz$ 15,00)"

Thanks, but the Brazilian re-release wasn't an issue. The problem is the original price "$1.95".

Both author and publisher are from UK, but this copy here says "printed in the USA". Therefore I'm assuming it's USD. Agreed?

[Stefan]

The remark states: "Translated into Portuguese in 1985 (Cz$ 15,00)"

Thanks, but the Brazilian re-release wasn't an issue. The problem is the original price "$1.95".

Both author and publisher are from UK, but this copy here says "printed in the USA". Therefore I'm assuming it's USD. Agreed?

Ah... see the additional file downloads - the scan of the book cover shows $1.95.

And... the publisher is not Dragon, but Scholastic Inc which is United States - as is Jean M. Favors - the surname gave it away, were she British she would have been called Favours. - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Adventure

[Einar Saukas]

Also any idea what's the currency for these prices?

Datadrive - about $120
Micro Adventure 8: The Big Freeze - $1.95
Ninjakul in the AUIC Temple - 12.5
Your Game-3 - $6
Z-Shell - $2

I think Ninjakul is Euros.

http://www.matranet.net/boutique/zx/nin ... njakul.php

The Matra re-release price is Euros, but it wasn't clear if the original release price was Euros too.

But never mind, I just confirmed it was Euros too:

http://www.retromadrid.org/campana-de-apoyo/

[Einar Saukas]

Ah... see the additional file downloads - the scan of the book cover shows $1.95.

Good point! I didn't notice it.

Now we can be sure the price is USD, since the price is directly printed in the book that was printed in US.

And... the publisher is not Dragon, but Scholastic Inc which is United States - as is Jean M. Favors - the surname gave it away, were she British she would have been called Favours. - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Adventure

Thanks! I reported it here for [mention]druellan[/mention] to investigate it further.

[Einar Saukas]

I suppose all prices in "dinarjev" refer to Yugoslav dinar (YUD) that existed between 1966 and 1989:
Can someone please confirm my assumption?

Yes, "dinarjev" is a grammatical form of dinar.
(I don't speak Serbo-Croatian but it's a Slavic language just like my native Polish so I am 100% sure)

Thanks!

Your Game-3 - $6
Z-Shell - $2

Probably sold for dollars online, so I would say the currency is right.
[/quote]

It's hard to be sure because values like "$6" are sometimes used as generic prices when people don't know the currency. There are a few entries with price represented as "$6" although the currency was "£6".

However both titles are contemporary to Martijn's work so he probably knew the proper currency. I'm guessing he wrote "$6" on purpose to represent USD. Moreover if these titles were sold directly from Russia to other countries, then it was easier to make international transactions at the time using USD. So you are probably right.

[Einar Saukas]

Also thanks everyone for your feedback on translations!

This subject deserves a new thread. I will ask [mention]PeterJ[/mention] to move posts about it, unless there are any objections...

[PeterJ]

Posts moved [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention].

Please keep this topic for discussion on currencies. Thank you.

The new thread is here:

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=4799

[Alessandro]

I see there is no mention of Italian Liras.

The symbol for Lira was L., but Lit. (LIra Italiana) was also common. I prefer to use Lit. personally, also to avoid possible confusion with the Turkish Lira, which is still in use. The international code, used for currency exchange, was ITL.

Here is an example:

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/for ... 019#p72019

About game prices: A pound sterling was changed at the time as Lit. 2500, roughly equivalent to today's € 3.50 adjusted to the current inflation.

Comparison between British and Italian prices of Spectrum games imported over here:

£ 1.99 -> Lit. 5000
£ 2.99 -> Lit. 7500
£ 7.95/8.95 -> Lit. 18000

By the time Spectrum games reached the price of £9.95, I don't think there were more imports, the market was too small and unprofitable. As a side note, C64 games in that price range were sold for Lit. 25000.

[Einar Saukas]

I have been using symbol ₤ to represent Italian Liras, for instance:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/8 ... m/Oroscopo

Should I change it to "Lit."?

[Alessandro]

No, it's all right to use that symbol as well. Just remember to put a space between it and the first digit, and delete any decimals, since centesimi had been abolished in 1924 (!).