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Who mints the coins commonly in circulation on Amia? (Cordor's Waukeenar, maybe?) Is there anything distinctive stamped onto them (dates, faces, phrases)? Do they have names (crowns, stars, lions, etc.)?

I know that Cordor has a mint. That mint was formerly owned by Lord Augir Goldberg and seized during the revolution by the Commonwealth. If I recall correctly, the cordorian gold coin is dubbed 'Monty' because it bares the likeness of the deposed cordorian duke Montgommery d'Cordor on it. As far as I know no other location of the server has it's own mint. (Yoss being the person to confirm this.)

Frozenfar likely uses the the currency of the closest city that holds a mint on the swordcoast, while Khem would likely use the currency of Mulhorand. Kohlingen, Bendir Dale, Winya Ravena, Uhm and Wharftown would all use the cordorian, while Ruathym, Forrstakkrr and Brogendenstein I have no idea on.

To further expound on this: Cordor has the only mint currently on Amia. It is run by the Commonwealth government. There are predominantly two 'styles' of coinage in circulation. The old monties previously mentioned, which depict the former Duke Montgomery. One predominant mintage of a Monty is one that depicts the Duke conducting his magic ritual that rebuilt Cordor in a day. But others presumably exist. All representing duchal-ruled Cordor in various ways. The newer mintage of coinage would not be called a Monty anymore. The new government mints coins that depict various visages from the People's Revolution that overthrew the Duke. Maximillian most predominantly, but also styling depicting the 'common man' and his victory over noble taskmasters.

Old-fashioned Monties are not very common in Cordor anymore. It may be somewhat taboo to have them, following certain events. However, in the north (particularly Kohl), where many exiled Cordorian nobles currently live, old-styled Monties are much more predominant in circulation.

I always thought Cordor produced all the gold coins and they were all MOnties, mainly because the only mention I found of NPCs actually naming the currency is in Forrstakr, where independently of your char's race they will go "Montgomery? Never heard of him, I will not take those coins".

In our setting, a coin's value is probably still determined solely by the amount of precious metal in it. Commonwealth coins are likely favored because there's a reliable local government to vouch for their purity. But it's not as if anyone (except the inbred retards of Forstakkr) would refuse a foreign coin that made of the real stuff. Coins don't represent a certain abstract value by virtue of a social contract like they do in the modern world, but rather are worth exactly however much gold, silver, copper etc. they contain.

There must be all sorts of coin in circulatio on Amia, from across the Realms. The island's economy is based on trade with Ruathym, Moonshae, the Sword Coast, and with Khem through the portals. It's not as if all the foreigners who dock at Amia to do business carry Monties.

That's what I imagine, anyway.

Khem under moshing Chris used "pharaohs" we rpd that they were worth 2 of whatever cordor had because of their purity and weight

GreatPigeon wrote:

Khem under moshing Chris used "pharaohs" we rpd that they were worth 2 of whatever cordor had because of their purity and weight

Reasonable considering the resources in that region compared with a city state

Ruathym doesn't really have its own currency to my knowledge. When Tae fines people he states it must be paid "X number of Cordorian Crowns (I didn't know they were called Monty's or whatever till now) or the equivalent in another currency". While its fun to RP unique and localized money, exchange ratings and stuff would be a pain in the ass to actually implement.

I imagine Ruathym has a mixture of coins from the Sword Coast (from trade and plundered Luskan warships), and Amia (from all those damn adventurers and trade). But nothing unique itself.

Our Gold Coins are Arsants, our Silver are Avadons, and our Coppers are Taes. Done. 10 Taes equals an Avadon, and fifteen Avadons equal a Arsant.

Which would make Richard the Electrum piece, or possibly the Platinum. Depending on whether Richard is 150 times better than Avadon, or just 5 times better. :twisted:

Nah, Richards are what we call the annoying balls of lint that form in our pockets. You know the ones that are round shaped so at first you think its a coin and pull it out expecting something of value and finding a dirty ball of garbage instead

Richards are the paper money.

Richards are the fake gold coins you give kids to play with, actually. You know they look really shiney and valuable, but its really just a hunk of useless plastic. >.> <3 you dick

I'm so glad you guys don't feel constricted by silly notions like "topics" and "relevance." Your celebration of spam is really an inspiring example to us all.

We're talking about coins aren't we? Close enough.

cant say this question ever crossed my mind, but there aren't that many cities down in the underdark represented in the server.

The drow use elf parts for currency >.> Honestly actually I never thought about that either, I'd be curious to hear what the base currency in the Underdark is, if there even is one.

Why would gold and silver be any less available to them? I would think if anything it would be even easier for subterranean races to get at precious metals.

Supply v Demand are inversely related. So because its easier, its actually less valuable by that logic.

Locally, yes. Drow are among the best merchants on the planet.

I was thinking more whether or not drow would have a minted currency or just trade lumps back and forth, since they have a largely decentralized power structure with frequently shifting authority figures I don't think they'd name their coinage after leaders the way is common among surface societies.

I could see underdark drow trading heavily in gems, as well as coinage unique to each city. Given the extreme prevalence of magic in drow society, and the many and varied uses of gemstones in magecraft, it makes sense that they'd be an oft-used trade commodity.

Makes sense to me.

cool this gave me some extra insight as to underdark economies

Gers wrote:

I could see underdark drow trading heavily in gems, as well as coinage unique to each city. Given the extreme prevalence of magic in drow society, and the many and varied uses of gemstones in magecraft, it makes sense that they'd be an oft-used trade commodity.

This is pretty much how I always viewed it, too.

If I recall my lore traditionaly Drow have a preferance for gold with a high iron impurity that gives the coins a redish hue and earning drow coinage the nickname of "Blood Money". Purer gold is reserved for objects of art not something so mundane as mere coinage. I imagine the same would apply to other metals used in coins by drow. Their arrogance and love of beauty would see metal and gems with a high quality and natural purity reserved for use in artwork, religious devotions and personal belongings while materials less pleasing to the drow or useful in their artwork would be found as the bulk of their trading wealth.

That said I imagine that the Shrine of Eilistraee would hammer featureless any coins side baring religious symbolism devout to evil underdark dieties. The flattened smooth underdark coins often spent at the shrine itself or Kampos likely earning the moniker of Red Moons as a play on the appearance and the Eilistraeen's history of bloody violence against the wicked. The Metals natural Color impurities that rile a race of perfectionists making the coins a curious rarity on the surface. The next most common of the hammered featureless underdark coinage would be copper as the Silver and Platinum coinage would last as long as it took for the Shrine to melt them down and make holy symbols of Eilistree.

On a side note given the chaotic nature of the Shrine every so often hand stamped coins would find their way out baring images of shirine founders, members, places in the Shrine and most often holy symbols, house symbols, Elistraeen icons and or religious phrases in drow, common or celestial. Such coins would have little consistency and seem to indicate attempts to spread the faith, knowledge of the Shrine. Humor or perhaps just plain boredom and toying with coin artwork and metal stamping.

Incidentally, very large-denomination currency is likely available in the form of interbank notes, which have been used for quite a long time in RL to transfer funds between banks. Just as an explanation of why your PC can haul around two million gold.

Additionally, within largely coin systems, other items could still be affixed value. For instance a platinum bar of X weight would be deemed equivalent value to X gold, and gems could be used as a form of currency too, of sorts. I tend to RP large amounts of wealth on my characters as a mix of gold and then other precious metals or gems or the like with hard value.

Ravenovf's post on Shrine coinage has enough awesome in it that I have to give it the Eili DM seal of approval.

Coinage

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