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The unit of currency on Barrayar was the Imperial Mark. Its value ranged between four and five marks to the Betan dollar over the course of the Vorkosigan Saga.

It is impossible to assign exact values of future money in reference to modern currency. However, the following list of exchanges should give a sense of the value of a Barrayaran Mark:

  • 18 million marks was the amount due to the Dendarii mercenaries after Dagoola. This cost included ship repairs and six months of expenses. That quantity was more than ten times the cost per year of running the Barrayaran Embassy on Earth and was several tens of times the budget of the Security staff of the embassy.[1]
  • 275,000 marks could have been used to replace the roof of Vorkosigan House.[2]
  • 500 marks was a generous Winterfair gift for approximately 11-year-old children.[3]
  • The usual weekly allotment for upkeep of Vorkosigan House was 5000 marks.[4]
  • Tien Vorsoisson's income was barely 5000 marks a month.[5]
  • A medically discharged Barrayaran lieutenant's half-pay only barely covered the cost of a single full-time servant, even with a free room thrown in.[4]
  • A seal dagger with provenance from the Time of Isolation could sell for 10s and 100s of thousands of marks at auction.[6]

Notes and references[]

  1. Brothers in Arms chapter 1
  2. The Warrior's Apprentice chapter 20
  3. Mirror Dance chapter 32
  4. 4.0 4.1 Memory chapter 8
  5. Komarr chapter 7
  6. A Civil Campaign chapter 11
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