I have decided to add some interest to my game by forming lore around coins used in this world. The intent is for discovered coins to convey information about how they got there.
I am using the basic coinage of D&D with a platinum piece being worth 10 gold pieces, and that is worth 100 silver pieces, and that if worth 1000 copper pieces. But as the folks in my D&D world know, platinum is really only for the nobility, and gold is only for the rich and the nobility. Most folks only handle silver and copper in any day-to-day transaction. The coin standard mostly has to do with weight and the motel alloy itself. So any minted silver coin that weighs 1/25 of a pound will be accepted in the advanced cultures as a silver coin. But each nation uses coinage to reinforce the legitimacy of their nation and their rulers.
In this world, the oldest "advanced" human civilization used coins to reinforce some of their key building blocks of society. So the images often reflect the power of the nobility and their noble rule over the land. In this culture, they mint some extra coins. They begin at the top with Platinum Trade Bars and Platinum Coins. Their coins are round with the score marks along the edge as you see on a quarter today. These marks are intended to discourage "shaving", which is scraping metal off the edge of a coin to create enough to mint a counterfeit coin. A Platinum Coin has the CoA (Coat of Arms) of the Royal Family on the heads side and an image of the Royal Palace on the tails side with a faint outline of the country behind the image of the palace.
The Gold piece is 1/10th the value of a platinum piece and weighs the appropriate amount. On the face is the CoA of the Royal family or the CoA of the Duke that minted the coin. On the reverse side is an elaborate crown, and this gives the coin it's name, a Crown.
The next coin is called a Rose because it is Rose colored due to being an alloy of gold, silver and copper. It is 1/25th of a pound. On the front is the CoA of the Royal Family, the Duke or the Marquis/Count that minted the coin. On the reverse is an image intended to be the symbol of their version of The Magna Carta, a parchment with writing on it. Since the image doesn't inspire the common folk, the coin is called a Rose. It has a value of 1/5th of a gold coin.
The next coin is a Silver piece with a value of 1/10th of a gold coin. On the front is the CoA of the Royal Family, the Duke, the Marquis, the Count or the Earl that minted the coin. On the reverse is an imposing Town/City gate. This is in part because most cities charge 1 sp for non residents to enter. The name of a city or town appears below the image of the gate. The Coins minted by Earls (because Earls are arch bishops of the national church) show the cathedral of the bishop and the name of the town at the bottom. The nickname for a silver coin is A Gate.
The next coin is a Brass coin ( an alloy of copper and zinc) and it is much larger than the other coins. It is valued at 1/2 of a silver coin. This coin bears the CoA of the King, the Duke, the Marquis, Count, or Earl, or the Baron that minted the coin. The reverse shows the image of a two mast sailing vessel on the ocean. This coin is called a Brig. The nation that mints these coins has a strong tradition of sea faring for trade and fishing. When these coins are minted by an Earl, they show the image and name of a Saint on the reverse instead of The Brig.
The next coin is a Copper piece and it is called a Penny. It has the usual size and weight and is valued at 1/10 of a silver piece or 1/5 of a Brig. The front face has the CoA of whatever noble house minted the coin. On the reverse side is an image of the Noble's profile that minted the coin. The noble's name follows an arc along the top of the coin and includes the generation suffix of the noble that minted the coin. Because of this, pennies are often gathered up, melted and recast for successive generations. Collectors and archeologists are very keen to find "out of circulation" pennies. Archeologists can sometimes use coins to date their findings.
The final coin they make is a smaller coin made of Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) and it is valued at 1/4 of a copper Penny. It is a small coin with a single letter and a suffix of the noble that minted the coin. The reverse side is an image of a sheave of wheat standing in a field. This coin has very little detail because it is so small and it is called a Mark although it was meant to be called a Sheave. it is used to allow common folks to subdivide transactions into amounts smaller than a Penny.
The basis for coinage was established by Elves before the other cultures developed far enough to need currency. But Elven coins are very different than the other cultures. Elven Coins are rings of metal that weigh the appropriate amount. They are slightly larger diameter than other "standard" coins. But the cross section of the ring varies depending on the denomination. A copper Ring has a "rounded" 4-sided cross section. The 4-sided cross section also twists as it proceeds around the ring. It takes a great deal of skill to mint Elven coins in their twisted ring shapes. Along one face of the 4-sides is the name of the jurisdiction or authority that authorized the minting of the coin. This writing is very thin Elven script.
The Silver ring has a 5-sided cross section that twists. The Gold ring has a 6-sided cross section that twists, and the platinum ring has a 7-sided cross section.
Dwarven Coins are octagonal disks and they have a special edge pattern that matches the metal denomination. Their weights match the Elven standard.
Most other human societies copy the weight of the Elven Coins but they make "disk" coins too. The standard copper disk coin is a four sided coin with rounded corners. The standard silver coin is five sided. The standard gold coin is six sided and the platinum coin is seven sided. The coins have a rounded thicker edge. They follow the standard usually of being directly to the noble that authorized the minting of the coin but they have some standard images on the reverse meant to reinforce the culture that made the coins.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
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I have decided to add some interest to my game by forming lore around coins used in this world. The intent is for discovered coins to convey information about how they got there.
I am using the basic coinage of D&D with a platinum piece being worth 10 gold pieces, and that is worth 100 silver pieces, and that if worth 1000 copper pieces. But as the folks in my D&D world know, platinum is really only for the nobility, and gold is only for the rich and the nobility. Most folks only handle silver and copper in any day-to-day transaction. The coin standard mostly has to do with weight and the motel alloy itself. So any minted silver coin that weighs 1/25 of a pound will be accepted in the advanced cultures as a silver coin. But each nation uses coinage to reinforce the legitimacy of their nation and their rulers.
In this world, the oldest "advanced" human civilization used coins to reinforce some of their key building blocks of society. So the images often reflect the power of the nobility and their noble rule over the land. In this culture, they mint some extra coins. They begin at the top with Platinum Trade Bars and Platinum Coins. Their coins are round with the score marks along the edge as you see on a quarter today. These marks are intended to discourage "shaving", which is scraping metal off the edge of a coin to create enough to mint a counterfeit coin. A Platinum Coin has the CoA (Coat of Arms) of the Royal Family on the heads side and an image of the Royal Palace on the tails side with a faint outline of the country behind the image of the palace.
The Gold piece is 1/10th the value of a platinum piece and weighs the appropriate amount. On the face is the CoA of the Royal family or the CoA of the Duke that minted the coin. On the reverse side is an elaborate crown, and this gives the coin it's name, a Crown.
The next coin is called a Rose because it is Rose colored due to being an alloy of gold, silver and copper. It is 1/25th of a pound. On the front is the CoA of the Royal Family, the Duke or the Marquis/Count that minted the coin. On the reverse is an image intended to be the symbol of their version of The Magna Carta, a parchment with writing on it. Since the image doesn't inspire the common folk, the coin is called a Rose. It has a value of 1/5th of a gold coin.
The next coin is a Silver piece with a value of 1/10th of a gold coin. On the front is the CoA of the Royal Family, the Duke, the Marquis, the Count or the Earl that minted the coin. On the reverse is an imposing Town/City gate. This is in part because most cities charge 1 sp for non residents to enter. The name of a city or town appears below the image of the gate. The Coins minted by Earls (because Earls are arch bishops of the national church) show the cathedral of the bishop and the name of the town at the bottom. The nickname for a silver coin is A Gate.
The next coin is a Brass coin ( an alloy of copper and zinc) and it is much larger than the other coins. It is valued at 1/2 of a silver coin. This coin bears the CoA of the King, the Duke, the Marquis, Count, or Earl, or the Baron that minted the coin. The reverse shows the image of a two mast sailing vessel on the ocean. This coin is called a Brig. The nation that mints these coins has a strong tradition of sea faring for trade and fishing. When these coins are minted by an Earl, they show the image and name of a Saint on the reverse instead of The Brig.
The next coin is a Copper piece and it is called a Penny. It has the usual size and weight and is valued at 1/10 of a silver piece or 1/5 of a Brig. The front face has the CoA of whatever noble house minted the coin. On the reverse side is an image of the Noble's profile that minted the coin. The noble's name follows an arc along the top of the coin and includes the generation suffix of the noble that minted the coin. Because of this, pennies are often gathered up, melted and recast for successive generations. Collectors and archeologists are very keen to find "out of circulation" pennies. Archeologists can sometimes use coins to date their findings.
The final coin they make is a smaller coin made of Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) and it is valued at 1/4 of a copper Penny. It is a small coin with a single letter and a suffix of the noble that minted the coin. The reverse side is an image of a sheave of wheat standing in a field. This coin has very little detail because it is so small and it is called a Mark although it was meant to be called a Sheave. it is used to allow common folks to subdivide transactions into amounts smaller than a Penny.
The basis for coinage was established by Elves before the other cultures developed far enough to need currency. But Elven coins are very different than the other cultures. Elven Coins are rings of metal that weigh the appropriate amount. They are slightly larger diameter than other "standard" coins. But the cross section of the ring varies depending on the denomination. A copper Ring has a "rounded" 4-sided cross section. The 4-sided cross section also twists as it proceeds around the ring. It takes a great deal of skill to mint Elven coins in their twisted ring shapes. Along one face of the 4-sides is the name of the jurisdiction or authority that authorized the minting of the coin. This writing is very thin Elven script.
The Silver ring has a 5-sided cross section that twists. The Gold ring has a 6-sided cross section that twists, and the platinum ring has a 7-sided cross section.
Dwarven Coins are octagonal disks and they have a special edge pattern that matches the metal denomination. Their weights match the Elven standard.
Most other human societies copy the weight of the Elven Coins but they make "disk" coins too. The standard copper disk coin is a four sided coin with rounded corners. The standard silver coin is five sided. The standard gold coin is six sided and the platinum coin is seven sided. The coins have a rounded thicker edge. They follow the standard usually of being directly to the noble that authorized the minting of the coin but they have some standard images on the reverse meant to reinforce the culture that made the coins.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt