Pepper Importation

A merchant bought 50,000 pounds of pepper in Portugal for 10,000 scudi and paid a tax of 500 scudi. He transported it to Italy at a cost of 300 scudi and paid another duty of 200 scudi. The next transport to Florence cost 100 scudi, and he had to pay an import duty of 100 scudi to that city. Lastly, the government demanded a tax from each merchant of 1000 scudi. Now he is perplexed to know what price to charge per pound for his pepper so that, after all these expenses, he may earn a profit of 2 giulij a pound. [Note: 1 scudo = 10 giulij]

Arithmetica practica (Practical Arithmetic), Chrisopher Clavius, 1583

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