verðbók

Verðbók is an Icelandic term referring to a book or list that records the prices of goods and services. Traditionally, a verðbók functioned as a price book or price list used by merchants, traders, and wholesalers to communicate current prices to customers and to standardize transactions. The entries typically included the item name, a unit of measurement, the price per unit, currency, and the date of the listing. Some verðbókar were issued as official or semi-official price catalogs by guilds, cooperatives, or municipal authorities, and could specify bulk prices, discounts, or exemptions.

Historically, verðbók was an important instrument for market transparency and price regulation in Iceland and other Nordic markets. In many towns it operated alongside ledgers and invoices, forming part of the documentation that supported commerce. With the transition to modern retail and accounting, price books have evolved into digital price lists and catalog systems embedded in point-of-sale software, e-commerce platforms, and ERP systems.

Contents and structure: A verðbók would normally list items in a defined catalog or alphabetical order, with fields for item description, unit of measure, price per unit, and effective date. Some editions also recorded suppliers, tax information, and terms of sale.

Today, the term is mostly encountered in historical or linguistic contexts, used by researchers studying Icelandic commerce or the history of pricing practices. The concept remains broadly the same: a published or circulated record of current prices used to inform buyers and guide sellers.