noble = 9 marks, 90 pfennigs.
Blanke: A silver coin = 2 stivers.
Angel: An English coin = 2 florins, 2 stivers Netherlandish.

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PART 1: LETTERS FROM VENICE TO WILIBALD PIRKHEIMER

Venice, 6th January, 1506

To the Honourable and wise Wilibald Pirkheimer, in
Nuremberg.

My dear Master, To you and all yours, many happy good New
Years. My willing service to you, dear Herr Pirkheimer. Know
that I am in good health; may God send you better even than
that. Now as to what you commissioned me, namely, to buy a
few pearls and precious stones, you must know that I can
find nothing good enough or worth the money: everything is
snapped up by the Germans.

Those who go about on the Riva always expect four times the
value for anything, for they are the falsest knaves that
live there. No one expects to get an honest service of them.
For that reason some good people warned me to be on my guard
against them. They told me that they cheat both man and
beast, and that you could buy better things for less money
at Frankfort than at Venice.

As for the books which I was to order for you, Imhof has