Now you may be wondering about the equivalence between HMUs and current monetary values. Well, 1 HMU will be approximately equivilant to $5 US, or about ?? Pounds, British. I have decided on this equivalence for the following reasons:

1. You don't want to carry to many hamsters with you to go shopping.
2. I felt like it.

    But what about smaller transactions? Well, each HMU will be divided into 100 "Turdlings". I'll bet you can guess what they are. That's right, you're money produces more money if you take care of it properly. Now that's what I call interest! Proper care and feeding of your bank account will make it become really productive, and I do mean productive.

    Of course, all Hamsters will be sterilized, and only the Imperial Reserve Cage will have access to fully "operational" Hamsters if you get what I mean. Of course, a very brave and determined person will be needed for this job. Visit the Minister of Hamstery's Page (when it exists) for more info.

    Now, all governments need to make money. Even though I would like to raise taxes through the "Ransack and Pillage" technique, I think it might not go over to well with the natives. That's why I'll be introducing the "Hamster Feeding Tax" system. After all, you must feed your money or else it will die. All hamster food supplies will become property of the Empire. You don't pay taxes, you get no hamster food, and all your money dies. It's a perfect system.

    But, sometimes hamsters do die, (So sad, so sad.) despite all we do for them. So we shall introduce Imperial Hamster Redemption Centers. These facilities will be staffed by trained economists and veterinarians. If you can prove that your hamster has died of "natural causes" i.e., cancer, old age, etc. you may redeem it for one that's not quite so dead. If your hamster has died of Monetary Abuse, it will not be refunded! If your hamster has died of malnutrition, or improper feeding you will be audited by the Imperial Hamster Gathering Service (IHGS, the tax bureau).