The Price of Virginity from Planck's Constant

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Well it happened again:

MaltaStar.com,
Virginity For Sale - Offers start at £10,000
Baby-faced Carys Copestake, 18, has offered her virginity for the price of £10,000 to help her pay for university tuitions. The British 18 year old used a false name to advertise herself on a website popular with prostitutes, with her parents having no idea of the bizarre way of getting cash for university. The ad reads: "Virginity For Sale £10,000," she adds:
"Hey, I think the title says it all. I'm an 18-year-old virgin with student funds to pay and I'm looking to sell my first time right here. I'm brunette, 34C, green eyes, all in proportion and good looking."

Two years ago, there was a similar story:

BBC
26 Jan 2004,
Student sells virginity on web
A university student is planning to pay for her degree course by selling her virginity on the Internet.
Rosie Reid, 18, from London, decided to auction her virginity on the auction site eBay in order to avoid graduating with huge debts.

The Bristol University social policy student says she would rather sleep with a stranger than face years of comparative poverty.

Of course, in Biblical times virginity was taken much more seriously and was more expensive despite the fact that almost every unmarried woman was probably a virgin:

Wiki,
Bride Price
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 states similarly: "If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." KJV

50 shekels
Photo: Figurine.

50 shekels was about half a kilo of silver but since that means very little to most of you, a middle class dwelling rented for about 5 shekels a year and the average wage was about 15 shekels a year. This means a virgin would cost about $150,000 to buy. Of course this price meant you kept her for life, not just a one time fling. Perhaps in that regard £10,000 for one shot might be a bit pricey.

Since I enjoy a related digression (is there such a thing?) it should be noted that Jesus was betrayed for only 30 shekels - not enough to even buy a virgin. And Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 shekels. There must have been a menu of prices in the old days for these kinds of things.

But back to buying virgins. Before you rush out and pay £10,000 for a British virgin, please be aware that the going price for virgins in China is about $1,233:

China Daily
29 Jul 2005,
Mother sells teen girl's virginity for 10,000 yuan
Prosecutors in Shanghai have charged the owner of a small beauty parlor in Jiangsu Province with selling her daughter's virginity and then forcing the 17-year-old girl to have sex with the businessman who paid to deflower her.

Prosecutors allege a businessman from Shanghai surnamed Chen paid the mother 10,000 yuan (US$1,235) for the right to ravish her daughter.

Prosecutors wouldn't say, however, if they have taken any legal action against the businessman.

So adding in the cost of airfare, dinner, motel, and breath mints (~$2,000) the total cost is still under $3,233. This is much cheaper than the £10,000 ($ 20,183.73) asking price of Carys.

Of course, one must not overlook the savings of buying a Mexican virgin right here in the US and avoiding all the expenses of traveling abroad. Mexico is the number one center for the supply of young children to North America. While a very pretty Mexican girl for full service costs about $300.00 and more an hour, a virgin may set you back a $1,000 or more.

Ah, immigrants...doing the work for less than Americans want.