After looking at blogs that show the merits of the Nephite money systems, I went and did my own analysis. What I found was even more amazing than what I remember reading. In a way, it reinforced my testimony of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon. For a man to come up with a unique (and possibly the best ever devised) monetary system that has very minor overall significance to the book would be ludicrous. Why take the time to think the system through? Unless, it was a known fact by the author that could be easily put forth to enhance the overall understanding of Amulek's legal hearing.
On the blogs I have read, I am told that the Nephite system of 1, 2, 4, and 7 and the Egyption system of 1,2, 4 and 8 are the best for making a purchase since they require the least amount of coins (units of measure) to make any number. For example, to make 14 you would need two 7's in Nephite money, and 8, 4 and 2 in Egyptian money and dime and four pennies in American money. So, it take 2 units of money for Nephites to make the purchase, three units for Egyptians and five units for Americans.
I have run the numbers here for myself. Price is the first column. It represents the amount of money asked for. 'N' is for Nephite, 'E' is for Egyption and 'A' is for American. These columns show how many 'coins' of each monetary system it takes to pay the price in the first column.
Price N E A (NSC)
1 1 1 1
2 1 1 2
3 2 2 3
4 1 1 4
5 2 2 1
6 2 2 2
7 1 3 3
8 2 1 3
9 2 2 4
10 3 2 1
11 2 3 2
12 3 2 3
13 3 3 4
Tot 25 25 32
14 2 3 4
15 3 4 2
16 3 2 3
17 4 3 4
18 3 2 5
19 4 3 6
20 4 3 2
21 3 4 3
22 4 4 4
23 3 5 5
24 5 3 6
25 4 4 1
Tot 42 41 47
GTot 67 66 79
Up to 13, the Nephites and Egyptians are neck and neck. The Americans lag behind. Up to 25, if I did my numbers right, the Nephites lag behind the Egyptians by one coin. But, there is more to the story! We aren't using the Nephite small coins here.
So, here's what I found. The units used above are more like dollar bills, two dollar bills, four dollar bills and seven dollar bills. In the text, the author, after showing the denominations, the author starts into the small coinage. Everything is based on a senum of silver which equates to a measure of barley. Let's call a senum a 1 unit. This would make the smaller units as follows:
1.0 = 1 senum
.50 = 1 shibon
.25 = 1 shiblum
.125 = 1 leah
1.5 = 1 antion
So, let's say these were coins (no coins are mentioned in this chapter).
a leah would be take the 1 coin position
a shiblum would take the 2 coin value position (it is twice the value of a leah)
a shiblon would tkae the 4 coin value position (it is four times the value of a leah)
the senum would take the 8 coin value position (it is eight times the value of a leah)
and the antion would take the 12 coin position (it is three times the value of a shiblon)
a seon (of the large coin system) would take the 16 position (it is twice a senum)
a shum would take the the 32 positon (four times a senum)
Because the Nephites added an antion which is three shiblons, they have created a twelve coin denomonation for making small change. With this new coin, it takes only one coin to pay for something that cost 12 and two coins to get to 13. The Nephite psuedo Egyptian small coin system beats the Egyption regular system by 2 coins!
I have added the Nephite Small Coin (NSC) system to the chart below.
Price N E A (NSC)
1 1 1 1 1
2 1 1 2 2
3 2 2 3 2
4 1 1 4 1
5 2 2 1 2
6 2 2 2 2
7 1 3 3 2
8 2 1 3 1
9 2 2 4 2
10 3 2 1 2
11 2 3 2 3
12 3 2 3 1
13 3 3 4 2
Tot 25 25 32 23
14 2 3 4 2
15 3 4 2 3
16 3 2 3 1
17 4 3 4 2
18 3 2 5 2
19 4 4 6 3
20 4 3 2 2
21 3 4 3 3
22 4 4 4 3
23 3 5 5 4
24 5 3 6 2
25 4 4 1 3
Tot 42 41 47 30
GTot 67 66 79 55
The Nephite Small Coin system far surpasses all past systems by 11 coins! The Nephite system is far better at making change then our American system (by 24 coins).
So, there's my (partial) analysis of the Nephite small denomonation monetary system.
By the way, when Zeesrom offers Amulek six onties, he was offering him 42 measures of barley, perhaps (depending of the size of a measure of barley) a month's labor or for a common man (if a measure of barley can feed a man for a day). If it feeds him for one meal, than Amulek was offered enough food for eight days.
