Limping Centaur Inn & Tavern

Coinage has been standardized for the most part since the Baaltaran Empire swept across most of the known realms in the previous age. In the present day most territories outsource the stamping of standard weight coins to either the Hegemonial Trust and Lending Company or the Daverium-Plutarch Finance and Prosperity Council. A monarch or ruling council hands over an amount of bullion equal to the desired coinage, plus fees, and receives perfectly weighted coins in the proper bullion and bearing the official stamp of the participating government. 

Kings and other heads of state may also elect to borrow stamped coinage for a small interest attached to the repayment contract. While some nations still engage in minting practices these are usually purpose-driven and account for a slim percentage of circulated coins within their territories.

Exceptions include the kingdoms on the island continent of Melithandros, who continue to mint vigorously  their own coins while still taking out loans from the aforementioned financial powerhouses, and the islands of Horu, Simphius, and Illiandris off the coast of Auld Ur, who refrain wholly from the dipole financial system.

Most economies are based on the gold measure, and wealthier territories also use one or two higher tiers to facilitate trading between merchant houses, the peerage, and dynastic families.

One gold coin (standard weight 8 grams), often called a crown or prince, is equal to:

• 10 steel shields
• 100 silver eagles, falcons, et al
• 1000 bronze marks, sometimes called hands
• 10,000 copper pennies, also called grains

To put this into proper economic perspective, we might say copper and bronze are everyday currencies, the former being the money of the poor and the latter representing the pay of professionals and skilled workers.

Items priced in copper

The universal standard for most civilized lands is one loaf of bread is equal to one copper piece. Anywhere this is not standard is normally a place where the ruling class engage in rampant abuse, criminality is pervasive, and commoners do not trust the currency or the commercial system.

Other examples of items paid for in copper:

One Copper

Bowl of porridge

Cup of beer

Onion, turnip, or carrot

Waterskin refill

2 Potatoes, large raw

1 Potato, baked or mashed

Cheaply made basket

Bundle of rags

Minor favor (run this across the street, pick up that box and put it on the cart, give me a sip of your drink stranger)

Torch

Two or Three Coppers

Apple or pear (2)

Dried beans or lentils, pound (2)

Plate of prepared vegetables with bread (2-3)

Wine, weak, one cup (2)

Egg, hen (2)

Small jar pickled vegetables (3)

Small candle, tallow (2)

Charcoal stick (2)

Basic sewing needle (2)

One iron nail (2)

Small strip of jerky (3)

Simple wooden bowl (3)

Piece of fire-starting flint (3)

Strip of scrap leather (3)

Bar of lye soap (3)

Barber cut (2)

Barber shave (2)

Four to Five Coppers

Large mug of good beer (4)

Handful or oats (4)

Handful of barley (5)

Small pouch dried berries (4-5)

Loaf of sweet, fruit bread (4-5)

Salt, handful (5)

Cheap wine, skin (5)

Honey, small jar (5)

Small clay mug (4)

Simple wooden toy (4)

Decent scrub brush (4)

Bundle of chalk, 10 sticks (4)

Small candle, beeswax (5)

Local runner (3-5)

Lodging in grubby flophouse, 1 night (3-5)

Sandals(3-5)

Tunic, rough (4-5)

Live chicken (3-5)

Higher-end Copper Items

Tin of salve, non-magical (7)

Vial of decent ink (7)

Small jar of jam or jelly (7-8)

Roasted nuts, pouch (7)

Clay pot with lid, small (8)

Crude wooden pipe (8-9)

Pouch of pipe tobacco (7-8)

Bar of decent soap (not lye) (7)

Small towel (7)

Fishing lure, basic (7)

Tin of boot oil (8)

Tiny bottle of cheap perfume (8-9)

Wooden club, treated (5-20)

Items priced in bronze

Fresh river fish (1)

Cheese, good, lb (1)

Small smoked ham (1)

Olive oil, small flask (2)

Small bag of sugar (3)

Choclate, small bar (5)

Good pipe tobacco, pouch (2)

Common inn, bed only, 1 night (2)

Small iron file (2)

Small iron chisel (2)

Scribe, copy one document (1-2)

Rough cloak (2)

Sturdy boots (2)

Leather belt (1-2)

1 Sheep (1-2)

1 Goat (2-3)

Pig (3-5)

Small iron pot (3)

Scabbard, good quality (3-4)

Brass hinge set (2-3)

Basic fishing net (4)

Simple iron padlock (4)

Small iron spade or trowel (5)

Small iron hammer (5)

Good quality soap (5)

Hand-saw, iron teeth (3-4)

Iron pry bar, small (4-5)

Shield, wooden round (3-5)

Shield, wooden round with bronze boss & rim (18-20)

Shield, wooden round with steel boss and rim (15 bronze - 3 silver)

Mace, basic iron head (8-10)

Hand-axe, wooden heft, steel head (9-10)

Common shortbow (5-10)

Arrows, good, bundle of 10 (1)

Iron hinge set (4)

Iron axe or pick head (4-5)

Leather bridle (3)

Leather reins (2-3)

Hemp rope (5)

Small tent (5)

We can say hereafter that silver is the coinage of the highly successful professional, the middle class, and the casual exchange of the nobility or aristocracy.  

Items Priced in Silver

Good inn, 1 night, 2 meals (1)

Good stirrups, iron (1)

Horseshoe set, iron (1)

Riding saddle (1-2)

High quality hammer (2-3)

Good wine, local bottle (3-5)

M'ua Shardin wine from MAer Dane (5-7)

Lu Savignon wine from Maer Dane (7-8)

Imported fruit (2-3)

Cloak, good wool (2-3)

Cloak, fine linen (4-5)

Tunic, linen (2-4)

Good trousers or breeches, tailored (3-5)

Decorative belt (2-3)

Good gloves, stout leather (2-3)

Small chest,iron bound (5-10)

Good lantern (2-3)

Parchment roll (3-5)

Quality ink (2-3)

Hairbrush, wood & boar bristle (3-4)

Bath salts (3-4)

Good curtains (5-7)

Good mattress, wool stuffing (4-6)

Hearth tools - poker, shovel tongs (5-7)

Wool carpet (3-5)

Dyed woll carpet (5-7)

Corridor runner, carpet (4-5)

Rug, thick hearth (4-5)

Rug, fine with stripes or minimal design (10)

Ruge, fine, embroidered (12-15)

Fine wool carpet (10-12)

Tapestry, swool, simple scene (4-8)

Tapestry, geometric (4-6)

Floral panel (8-10)

Tapestry, large wool with complex scene (12-18)

Painting, local known artist (10-20)

Board game (2-4)

Flute, good quality (3-5)

Guitar, good (1-2)

Guitar, Yunni crafted (6-10)

High quality smoking pipe (5-10)

Fortune teller cards, authentic (5-10)

Deck of Vetvien Gwirdva playing cards, low-end (10-20)

Cow (5-8)

Ox (5-10)

Mule (40-50)

Good riding horse (50-80)

Dagger, basic (2-3)

Mounted courrier, 50 miles (5-7)

Mounted courrier per 100 miles (10-12)

Small boat, transport per day (5-10)

Message by bird, 100 miles (5-7)

Message by bird, 300 miles (7-10)

Message by bird, 600 miles (10-15)

Message by bird, night, 100 mile maximum (8-12)

Dagger, good (5-10)

Dagger, obsidian (50)

Dagger, Korvelan Steel (50-100)

Fzalt Sgianz fighting knife (20-30)

Shortsword, basic from good smith (10-40)

Gladius, bronze (10)

Studded leather armor, fitted (30-50)

Helmet, iron cap (1-2)

Helmet, steel nasal (20-30)

Helmet, steel barbute (80-100)

Basic arming sword, good quality (50-80)

Sturdy longsword, basic (80-100)

Cart (5-10)

Common book (1-3)

Scholarly text (5-20)

Wagon (20-30)

Fishing boat, oars (10-15)

Small sailing boat, 5-6 person capacity (50-80)

Hot air balloon, per day (50-80)

Armed escort rider, per day (2-3)

Veteran armed escort rider per day (5-10)

House guard, basically trained, per day (1)

House guard, seasoned, per day (2)

House guard, corporal per day (3-4)

It should be obvious by now that gold is the money of the wealthy. A single gold coin represents potentially a lifetime of work for a poor commoner. This is the coinage held in reserve to amass wealth, but when traded it serves to buy the most expensive items on the market.

Examples of What Gold can buy

Tapestry, silk accent (1)

Tapestry, masterwork (3-5)

Tapestry, Maer Danian historical antique (10 +)

Tapestry, Varidstone, Ellengard antique (20 gold)

PAinting by well-known artists (1-10)

Rare magical tome (5-50)

Full chain mail, custom (3-5)

Longsword, military grade (1-2)

Gutherian Grimmhaur great sword (4-5)

Longsword made in Exquistia's Sword Meros (2-5)

Longsword, Azrean Steel by Umbrige smith family (10-20)

Fzalt Iomna from Queensport Armory (2-4)

Plate mail, reputable smith (15-20)

Plate mail, masterwork (20-30)

Round shield, Korvelan Steel (1-2)

Hvasul shield, Azrean Steel (3-5)

Cottage, small (1-2)

Townhouse (3-5)

Farmstead (5-10)

Tavern (30-60)

Mansion (300)

Keep, small (!000+)

River barge (1-2)

Small galley (5)

Galleon merchant ship (30-50)

War horse (1-2)

Khelt Stallion (4-5)

Tchaka (large flightless bird mount) (10-15)

Exotic spices (1-3)

Rare dyes (1-2)

Rare lumber (spinewood, copperbark laurel, black elm), bundle (1-3)

Mercenary company, 40 men, tenday (10)

Mercenary company, Baaltari, tenday (15-50 +)

Mercenary company, Duarden (25)

This should give some idea of the value of coinage in the known realms. Because of the easy conversion standard, commoners who rarely have bronze or silver can pay the equivalent in copper, or lower level merchants can buy items priced in gold with the adjacent amount of silver.

Steel coins are rarely spent, but instead used as a fluid store of wealth to be converted as needed. Shields can be spent and certainly sometimes they are, but the practice is rarified.

For the aristocrat class two additional levels of the currency hierarchy exist. These are platinum rounds, called pillars or emperors usually, and diamond stars cut in five carats.

Standard values for these units are:

1 platinum pillar = 10 gold

1 diamond star = 550-200 gold (variable, stamped)

Uniform weight for each coin group is what sets the standard value across distinct kingdoms and other administrative areas. While prices per region might vary based on demand or due to scarcity of certain items, a bronze mark or silver bird is worth roughly the same exchange in goods-value and exactly the same exchange between other coinage in Averine, Shaluna, Seraffio, Baaltar, Exquistia, Mercain, Glassmarch, Qarib, Port Trident, and Almahatat, despite the extreme distances between some of these locales. 

Copper pennies wigh 3 grams

Bronze marks weigh 6 grams

Silver birds weigh 10 grams

Gold crowns weigh 8 grams

Platinum pillars weigh 10 grams

Diamond stars weigh around 1 gram but are standardized by carats.