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How much is a bit?


TehBbqdPizza

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I would guess one gold bit equates to about one US Dollar, since it's an American made show, with many American city references and such. Even their locations on the canon map are similar to their real-world counterparts. It stands to reason that the bit and dollar are very close in value. Silver bits, on the other hand, might be more like quarters, or perhaps half-dollars. I haven't really noticed their use in the show, so I can't be certain.

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I would guess one gold bit equates to about one US Dollar, since it's an American made show, with many American city references and such.

FiM is actually made in Vancouver, Canada. :P

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FiM is actually made in Vancouver, Canada. :razz:

My bad. Faust is American though, right? So that should count for something. Actually, I think it matters more where the writers are from. Either way, I'm calling the bit to match the dollar. Now to decide if that dollar is US or Canadian dollar. Lol.

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In season one and two, I had the impression that gemstones are mostly just pretty trinkets, considering how many there are and how Rarity uses them as raw material for her dresses.

Yet in season 3, they make it look like you actually can use gems as currency, or at least to barter.

I'm kinda confused by that. Wouldn't that mean that Rarity's trademark spell has her effectively find ridiculous amounts of money? What's the staff stance on it?

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I think Equestria has a barter system, it's just that bits are the easiest thing to trade. After all, a single cherry ranged in price from 2 bits to 20 bits. Therefore there isn't really any set value for the bits or gems.

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My bad. Faust is American though, right? So that should count for something. Actually, I think it matters more where the writers are from. Either way, I'm calling the bit to match the dollar. Now to decide if that dollar is US or Canadian dollar. Lol.

Be careful not to put Faust too high in rank... she was simply contracted in do a job (re-styling an existing IP and idea). She didn't really 'invent'.

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I think Equestria has a barter system, it's just that bits are the easiest thing to trade. After all, a single cherry ranged in price from 2 bits to 20 bits. Therefore there isn't really any set value for the bits or gems.

I agree. It's like buying things with money if money was only worth what you argued it to be.

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to me, a single bit is a single dollar, due to the fact in the one episode with Iron will, pinkie argues with the one mare over the tomato's and a silver bit? im guessing it stands for half a dollar, a copper bit must stand for a penny, (if silver and copper bits exist, im pretty sure that's how it would work) and the gems must be worthless...but in season three spiked used them for bartering, i guess that you CAN use gems, but there just not worth more, despite the fact Rarity uses raw ones for her fancy dresses...

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What I would like to know is where the idea that gems are cheap or basically worthless came from. If it is because Spike eats them, there are some meals in the real world that most people couldn't afford if they worked all their lives. If it is because they are common, it does help when one of the mane 6 has the abilities to easily find the jewels. The gems probably aren't worth as much on Equestria as they are on Earth, but they aren't really worthless.

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I would guess one gold bit equates to about one US Dollar, since it's an American made show, with many American city references and such. Even their locations on the canon map are similar to their real-world counterparts. It stands to reason that the bit and dollar are very close in value. Silver bits, on the other hand, might be more like quarters, or perhaps half-dollars. I haven't really noticed their use in the show, so I can't be certain.

In the recent "Magic Mystery Cure", Fluttershy gives Cherry Berry silver bits.

to me, a single bit is a single dollar, due to the fact in the one episode with Iron will, pinkie argues with the one mare over the tomato's and a silver bit? im guessing it stands for half a dollar, a copper bit must stand for a penny, (if silver and copper bits exist, im pretty sure that's how it would work) and the gems must be worthless...but in season three spiked used them for bartering, i guess that you CAN use gems, but there just not worth more, despite the fact Rarity uses raw ones for her fancy dresses...

It seems less possible for a bit to equal the amount of a bit in the real price of one, which is 7.5 American cents. Its true I see the ponies as a generous and benign kind of species, but it seems too ridiculous to sell cherries, tomatoes, asparagus, or apples at a price that doesn't even exceed one US dollar.

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I doubt there is any accurate equivalent exchange to American or Canadian dollars or British pounds. We can only guess what standard they use for their currency (sure we can really over-analyze and ask if its a gold standard, or bimetallism, etc).

Did find this on the MLP Wiki though when it came to value of items in gold bits:

Bag of apples -- 3 gold bits

Apple pie -- 2 gold bits

Apple fritter --2 gold bits

Mug of apple cider -- 2 gold bits

Asparagus (1 bundle) -- 1 gold bit

Tomatoes (bunch of 3) -- 2 gold bits (2/3 of a gold bit per Tomato)

Cherry -- 2 gold bits (The pony was price gouging at the time)

In the season three final we saw Fluttershy give four silver bits for a one-way Balloon trip from Ponyville to Cloudsdale. This is the first time we saw bits in silver form. Of course this simply may have been an animation mistake and they should have been gold (the Occum's Razor explanation). They could have also be say platinum and thus worth more, or silver is worth more than gold, or food is considerably more expensive then balloon trips, but it is most likely the first explanation.

Of course, no surprise, someone in the fandom has gone into deep analysis about what they are worth.

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Maybe she's one of those rich people that prefers a simple life rather than a huge lonely house as a status symbol.

I don't think so (no offense to Rarity). She repeats herself many times in the series about how she would give (just about) anything to reside in Canterlot. Remember the Grand Galloping Gala? She went nuts over that! Also, when she was living in Canterlot for a short while she was making every excuse to stay longer, almost missing Twilight's birthday! (What am I, advertising the episode or something?)

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