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- "Weird! What a shape! This is money?"
- — Ron Weasley examining a fifty pence piece[src]
Muggle money[1] was a wizarding term used to refer to the currency used by non-magic people, with varying types depending on nationality. It couldn't be used in the wizarding world because wizards and witches had their own currency, which in Great Britain consisted of galleons, sickles and knuts.[1]
However, Muggle money could be exchanged with the wizarding community at locations such as Gringotts Wizarding Bank in order for Muggle-borns to acquire such funds. Muggle money exchanged at Gringotts was put back into circulation in the Muggle world by goblins, so as to make sure the wizarding world was hidden from Muggles.[3] Wizarding laws did take into account of the possibility of some wizards or witches Appariting into a muggle bank to take all the money from therein, which they would prevent via requiring Apparition licenses.[4]
Wizardkind who were unfamiliar with the Muggle world might have difficulty dealing with Muggle currency, to the point of trying to use incompatible wizarding currency instead.[5]
History[]
- Arthur Weasley: "Help me, Harry. This one's a — a — a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now.... So this is a five?"
- Harry Potter: "A twenty."
- Arthur Weasley: "Ah yes, so it is.... I don't know, these little bits of paper..."
- Mr Roberts: "You foreign?"
- Arthur Weasley: "Foreign?"
- Mr Roberts: "You're not the first one who's had trouble with money. I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
- — Arthur Weasley struggling to pay Mr Roberts with Muggle money[src]
At some point between 1855 and 1858, the British Minister for Magic Priscilla Dupont transformed the coins in the pocket of the Muggle Prime Minister Lord Palmerston into frogspawn, to her irrational loathing of him.[6]
Olivia Green purchased a jumper from a second-hand shop for ninety-nine pence.[7]
In December 1991, Vernon and Petunia Dursley sent Harry Potter a fifty-pence piece at Christmas, but he gave it to Ron Weasley.[2]
In 1992, when Mr and Mrs Granger were in Diagon Alley to buy school supplies with their daughter, they exchanged their money for wizarding currency at Gringotts. Arthur Weasley was fascinated by this and remarked upon it to his wife Molly.[8] Later, Harry told Ron that the Dursleys hadn't given him pocket money in about six years.[9]
In 1993, Dudley Dursley was given money during a visit from his Aunt Marge, a 20-pound note as a bribe for accepting a hug from her.[10]
In 1994, there was a fifty-pence piece in the Dursleys' living room.[11] Later that year, at the Quidditch World Cup, Arthur and some other wizards had trouble dealing with muggle currency with the campsite owner, Mr Roberts, and one even tried to give a galleon instead.[12]
In 1995, when Arthur had to take Harry to the Ministry of Magic for a disciplinary hearing regarding his use of underage magic, they went by the Underground. Arthur had trouble dealing with Muggle currency once again, and Harry handled the transaction with the tickets.[5]
In 1997, while searching for Voldemort's Horcruxes, Hermione Granger took some eggs and bread from a farmhouse, but left behind some money as compensation.[13]
A £50 note was among several objects left on a table at the Siren's Rest pub in Wales.[14]
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Euro symbol seen on newspaper)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Pottermore
- Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
- Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
- Harry Potter: The Character Vault
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 4 (The Keeper of the Keys)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 12 (The Mirror of Erised)
- ↑ AOL Live Interview with J. K. Rowling - October 19, 2000
- ↑ Scholastic interview with J. K. Rowling
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 7 (The Ministry of Magic)
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ministers for Magic" at Wizarding World
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year B
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 5 (The Whomping Willow)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 2 (Aunt Marge's Big Mistake)
- ↑ Pottermore
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 7 (Bagman and Crouch)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 15 (The Goblin's Revenge)
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World - Case 4: Into the Deep