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CURRENCY
For most game purposes, a copper piece is the same regardless of its
point of origin. The only thing that matters about a gem is how much
the local jeweler declares it to be worth. However, there are
situations where a particularly large or diverse treasure hoard
could benefit from a little extra note: Instead of "200 gold, three
gems worth 1,000 gp each, and an art object," the players find "200
lions from the Cormyrean mint, three black opals, and a golden comb
encrusted with zircons.
Exchange Rates: The Forgotten Realms uses standard
rates of exchange between standard coins as in the Player's
Handbook. Local situations may influence these exchange rates.
Copper Coins: The most common and least valuable of the
various coins, copper coins are known as coppers, copper pieces, or
copper thumbs (the last is of Cormyrean origin). Sembia released a
square iron coin called the steelpense which is similar in value to
the copper (see Steelpense, below). Several "coins" are used among
barbarian tribes that are chips of bone, also valued as the copper.
Southern city-states have all stamped a number of copper coins (unarches,
radas, niftens, and spanners from Calimshan, and fanders from Amn).
Silver Coins: Silver coins are also called silvers and silver
pieces. Both Cormyrean and Sembian mints produce silver pieces
bearing the symbol of the nation on one side and a mint mark on the
other. Cormyrean silvers are called falcons, their triangular
Sembian cousins hawks, and the two are used interchangeably without
difficulty. Other silver coinage regularly seen in the heartlands of
the Realms includes the Amnian taran and Calishite coins such as the
decarche, espedrille, and the ochre-tinted red worm of Memnon. Red
worms are cast from silver but coated with a dye. Old coins with the
dye worn away are called "skinned worms."
Electrum Coins: Electrum coins are not as popular as gold,
silver, and copper, but exist in sufficient numbers to be
represented occasionally in treasure caches or odd pockets. Electrum
pieces are commonly called blue eyes throughout the heartlands of
the Realms, regardless of origin: This applies to round Cormyrean
eyes, diamondshaped Sembian electrums, Calishite tazos and zonths,
and Amnian centaurs. An exception is the electrum moon of
Silverymoon—this coin is worth 1 ep throughout the Realms, but twice
that much in the northern city of Silverymoon.
Gold Coins: The most common coin of adventurers, commonly
called golden lions throughout the Realms, though only the Cormyrean
coins carry the figure of the lion on the coin. (Sembian gold coin
designs vary from year to year but always retain a five-sided
shape.) The Southerners use the Amnian danter, though there are a
number of other golden coins from Calimshan, Thay, and Tethyr, as
well as scatterings of private mints (including those of adventuring
companies) and city-states. All are worth one gold standard, save
for those from the cities of Tethyr. Tethyrian gulders, moelans,
myrats, and zoths are only worth 60-90% of their listed value due to
the upheavals in that land.
Platinum Coins: These coins are relatively rare but used by
successful (and boastful) adventurers and merchants. Platinum coins
are called tricrowns, plats, or pearls (in particular the Southern
versions, which are officially named roldons). Sembia produces no
platinum coins but readily accepts those of other nations.
Other Coins: There are a number of coins which do not fit
into any of the standard categories of other coinage but which are
still found with some regularity in the heartlands. These coins have
a wide range of worth that varies by coin and location (the
Waterdhavian toal, for example, is worth 2 gp in Waterdeep and
practically nothing elsewhere).
Bela: A word for paper money used by the savage barbarian
tribes to the east of the Realms, bela refers both to bills used in
the lands of Kara-Tur and more recent script issued by the
over-chief or khahan of the tribes of the Hordelands. In the western
Realms, it is worthless and is occasionally offered as an insult.
Blood Notes: Blood notes are scrolls, letters, or other
carvings representing IOUs and promissory notes from the listed
person to the holder of the note. Blood notes can be made by
individuals, adventuring companies, countries, or cities to cover
debts and, should debtors still be around, they are legally
obligated to pay when a blood note is presented. Blood notes from
individuals who are no longer alive are not binding. About 20% of
the blood notes found among treasure are still collectable, with one
100 gp value for every "other money" unit found (if 10 "units" of
other coinage were found and proved to be a blood note, it would be
a blood note worth 1,000 gp). Locating the debtor and convincing him
or her to pay up is left to the individuals involved.
Trade Bar, Mirabar: Coming from the wild country north of
Waterdeep, these trade bars are made of black iron and shaped like
rectangular spindles. They are worth 10 gp in Mirabar itself, 5 gp
in the rest of the Realms.
Trade Bar, Merchants': These trade bars are thin, silver bars
worth either 10, 20, or 50 gp each. The bar is marked at one end
with its value and at the other with the symbol of the trading
institution or coster that created it. Broken trade bars are
valueless, though most merchants continue to honor the trade bars of
defunct institutions. The trade bars of the Iron Throne trading
group are not honored by other trading organizations, as this group
is considered disreputable. Merchants' trade bars can be
manufactured anywhere, but an increasing number of them bear the
mint mark of Baldur's Gate.
Trade Bar, Sembia: Ingot-shaped bars of silver dotted with
copper and marked with the symbol of Sembia, these trade bars are
considered to be worth their face value and are backed by the wealth
of the Merchant Kingdom. The trade bars range from 5, 10, 15, 25 or
50 gp each.
Trade Bar, Lantan: A flat, envelope-shaped bar of worked
steel marked with the great wheel of Gond, such bars are worth 20 gp
each and are used primarily along the Sword Coast and in other
regions where the Lantanna normally trade.
Toal, Waterdeep: The toal is a square brass coin with a hole
bored in the center that is commonly used in the City of Splendors.
In Waterdeep, it has a value similar to 1 ep (that of 2 gp), but it
is considered worthless outside the city.Harbor Moon, Waterdeep: A
harbor moon is a special Waterdhavian coin struck in the shape of a
crescent and made of platinum inset with electrum. It is used in
bulk purchases in Waterdeep, where it is worth 50 gp. Outside
Waterdeep, its value drops to 2 gp per harbor moon.
Steelpense, Sembian: A coin introduced by the Sembian
government to replace silver (which the government could then
hoard), the steelpense was overproduced and dropped in value until
its present value is 1 steelpense = 1 copper piece. The Sembian
nobles have disavowed the coin's value, but still honor it
grudgingly throughout the country. "Buying steelpense with bela" is
a byword for fiscal stupidity.
Shou Lung Copper: Any copper coin which is not immediately
recognizable is declared to come from the mystical East and is
valued at 1 copper piece. Only a small number of these coins
honestly come from Shou Lung or any of the Kara-Turan nations, but
the name remains.
Shou Lung Silver: Similar to Shou Lung copper, Shou Lung
silver refers to any unknown or badly worn silver coin and is valued
at 1 silver piece. Some but not all of these coins find their origin
in the East.
Shou Lung Trade Bars: These slender bars of silver,
definitely oriental in origin, have made their way to the West with
the occasional trader and adventurer. Shou Lung trade bars are worth
about 40 gp each.
Letter of Trade: Similar to blood notes, letters of trade
call for delivery of a particular item or items to the bearer. Only
about 10% of these are worth anything; the remainder are written for
organizations which no longer exist or for items which have since
been sold or delivered elsewhere. Even then, the item (often not
mentioned on the letter of trade) to be delivered varies from a
small art object to a magical item to (in at least one case) a
golem.
Tharsult Statues: Far to the south, the nation of Tharsult
uses small art objects in trade. These statues of ivory, jade, and
serpentine are used as coinage in that region, and have reached the
heartlands of the Realms as curios.Typical statues are worth 15 gp
each in the North, but only 5 gp each in their native land.
Shaar Rings: The plainsmen of the Shaar use rings made of
sliced and bored ivory hung on long strings. Rings are found in
bundles, and each ring is worth 3 gp.
Gond Bells: An odd form of money introduced by the Lantanna
and used in areas of the North, in particular in trade between
worshipers of Gond. A Gond bell is a small bell made of brass that
almost totally encloses a loose ornamental stone which causes it to
clatter. Gond bells are worth 10 gp on the open market, 20 gp if
traded to a church of Gond.
Mercenary Cards: Mercenary cards are small cards of parchment
about the size of a talis card that are marked on one size with the
symbol of a particular mercenary unit. The reverse usually has some
handwritten scrawl from the troop's paymaster authorizing payment.
The payment is equal to 15 gp per unit of "other currency" found. If
the mercenary organization still exists, its present paymaster will
authorize the payment (and perhaps offer more work as well).
Mercenary paymasters are accustomed to individuals producing cards
that have been found in monster lairs,
stolen, or won in card games.
Article written by 'Unknown'. If any whom the credit should go to, please
be kind enough to inform me. |