Ok, I'm integrating Cauldron into my homebrewed campaign and I'm wondering if anyone else has considered giving Cauldron its own set of unique, minted coins.
As Cauldron isn't that large, I think the government could only afford to have the more common coins minted (gp, sp, cp). However, I'd be interested in getting opinions on what names people think would be appropriate for Cauldron's coins.
Standard...
GP -
SP -
CP -
Alternatively...
PP -
EP -
Perhaps, a volcanic theme?
And if anyone from Paizo has official names for Cauldron's coins then I'd really like to know.
Cheers!
Knightfall1972
This is my first browse through the paizo boards and I thought I would scan through the existing threads when I chanced upon your own.
I haven't got any earth shattering ideas here and the volcano-themed idea certainly has merits (ie malachite coins=copper or even a lower/more common coin than this!) but I have chosen to have an attempt at just using the common metals at this time for my idea.
All coins printed in Cauldron have a small 'hole' cut in their centers. Initially this was done for to very practical reasons -
1The first was to reduce the 'cost' of the currency by reducing the metal needed even if the saving was not substantial.
2The second reason was to thread the coins together on a thick string to carry around a persons waste.
Today the practice is still retained for traditional reasons and to symbolize Cauldrons volcanic foundations within the dormant volcanoes mouth.
[size=3][color=blue]Possible Cauldron Copper Coins[/color][/size]
[u][size=3]Option One-[/size][/u]
Copper 'Common'
When debate about the currency of Cauldron was first being debated amongst the new nobles, dignities and businessmen of the new town, the copper coin was almost not included in the currency. The nobles of the town argued that the copper coin found in most countries of the world were unsightly and rarely used except by the commoners. Eventually the merchants and businessmen convinced the nobles to print the coin so that the 'commoners' would have a coin to use.
This is where the term 'Copper Common' comes from. A coin for the commoners.
[size=3]Option Two-[/size]
Copper 'Cobbler'
The Cauldron Copper is a square shaped coin with a small square hole in its centre.
The slang 'Cobbler' came from early in Cauldrons history when the local builders and workmen helped build the unique town under the direction of the gnomes who had lived in the regions for hundreds of years.
The workmen at the time had great difficulty with the rocky slopes, loose rubble and jagged stones found within the volcano basin and their poorly constructed shoes, sandals and boots offered little comfort or protection under the conditions.
In response the practically minded gnomes of Jzardine set about building hundreds of shoes and boots for the workers each bearing a copper buckle and offered them the footwear as part of their payment.
From this point on the workmen would take their footwear to the locale gnome cobbler for repairs as part of their weekly payments. The copper buckles frequently fell off and trading copper buckles to make running repairs became a common and recognizable part of the blossoming currency. Long after the style of shoe had vanished and the town was built the copper buckles or 'cobblers' were used by the workmen for payment until coins began to be minted resembling the workmen’s copper buckles from their gnomish-crafted shoes.
This is where the term 'Copper Cobbler' came from and is even attributed to the shape of the coin.
[size=3]Option Three-[/size]
The Copper Clasp
The Copper 'Clasp' is a circular coin with a small round hole in its centre. A symbol of a claw clasping a flame is embedded on one side while the symbol of Cauldron is emblazed on the other.
The slang term - 'Clasp' comes from the discovery of a skeletal dragons claw found buried alone the lakeside within the basin when the town was first being constructed. Many believe that Hookface's mother once called the dormant volcano its home thousands of years previous until she met her end fighting another of her kind - perhaps even Hookface himself! Others state the claw was of a copper dragon slain by Hookface himself as a youth.
[size=3][color=blue]Possible Cauldron Silver Coins [/color][/size]
[size=3]Option One-[/size]
Silver 'Steadier'
The criminals of Cauldron are executed in front of the town hall for the most heinous of crimes. Before the headsman swings his axe to behead the wrong doer must pay the headsman his wage - a silver piece - ensuring a quick death. Criminals who choose not to pay the headsman can expect a haphazard job sometimes taking numerous blows before the unfortunate criminal is finally beheaded and feels no more.
Paying a silver to 'steady' the headsman’s axe is considered money well spent and is where the term ‘Steadier’ comes from.
[size=3]Option Two-[/size]
Silver 'Salt'
The nobles and rich citizens of Cauldron often hold banquets and meals where they invite fellow noblity, loyal followers and visitors. The host sits at the top of the table or at a long table at the front of the hall where they sit with others of importance.
Salt in Cauldron is both expensive and difficult to acquire and rarely used except at meals such as these. Only those close to the host or are impotant to them are able to use salt which is kept in a great silver bowl or shaker, resting before the host. Those who are considered lower or of lesser impotance and seated further down the table or room.
This is where the term comes from - 'Below the Salt' and also where the term 'Silver Salt' derives from - salt is always kept in a silver shaker or bowl and silver is a coin of value but still below the gold.
[size=3]Option Three-[/size]
Silver Silho
The Silver Silhouette or 'Silho' comes from the out dated practice of the locale brothels having small rooms where their girls would work. Instead of doors the girls only had a thin piece of fabric covering the entrée to their rooms. When a new client would arrive the girls would come to the curtain so their silhouette would be seen and the eager gentleman would make his choice and pay his silver/s coin/s to the matron before stepping through the curtain.
This is where the slang - 'Silver Silho' derived from.
I've run out of time but will try and work on the gold and platinum next time.
Delvesdeep:b:
I thought this was such a good post, that sent a private post to all of my players giving them a chance to come up with something for our campaign. If they come up with something good, I will pass it on here. Great Idea!!!!!!!
Wow, man! That's a lot more thought and creativity than I ever thought anyone put into their inner societal workings of a make-believe feudal society. Way to go!! Not only had some great ideas there, but you backed them up with a brief history. You must've been a bard in a former life...
Thanks Walter and Maveric for your comments and praise. I hve another Cauldron Coin Possibility to add if people are interested and feel free to post your own if you get half a minute.
[size=3][color=blue]Possible Cauldron Gold Coins[/color][/size]
[u][size=3]Option One-[/size][/u]
Gold 'Tumbler'
Cauldron was initially colonized, founded and eventually constructed as part of a distant kingdom. The king of the time was proud of his new city in the distant Frontier Lands and decided to visit Cauldron to celebrate its growth. For months the citizens of Cauldron were forced to pay increased taxes in preparation of the royal visit. Much of the local food and produce began to be stowed away for the Royal celebration and many of Cauldron’s poor began to go hungry By the time the King had made his lengthy journey to the city, the citizens of Cauldron were disgruntled and far from welcoming.
As the king arrived with much fanfare and paraded through the city he could sense the peoples obvious hostilities. In an attempt to alleviate their anger the King choose to board a local fishing boat, fill it with food, sail around the inner lake and toss the food to the hungry citizens. What happened next became legendary in Cauldron.
Whether it was the weight of the food or the barrage of vegetables that the citizens hurled back at the astonished sovereign, the boat overturned sending the beleaguered king tumbling into the dirty water. The roar of laughter as the king bobbled in the watery mix of food and flotsam was enormous while the royal dragged himself to the shore thoroughly embarrassed and looking like a drowned cat. He left for home that very night, the celebrations were cancelled and the food distributed back to the markets and onto the citizens table.
To this day the Cauldron gold coin has the depiction of this king on one side but only a few educated individuals know or care what his name is. To them he will always be the king who tumbled into the lake and this is where the term ‘Gold Tumbler’ comes from.
More on the way:)
Delvesdeep
A couple of more possible Cauldron Gold Coins
Gold ‘Monkey’
At one time it was quite fashionable to own monkeys taken from the nearby jungles surrounding Cauldron. Spider monkeys were used as companions, ferocious baboons trained to guard noble’s estates and mighty gorillas used for their strength. Cauldron Hunters began to develop a Monkey Trade where they transported caged monkeys to local and distant cities to be sold.
The Last Laugh during this time actually had some of the dexterous, nimble little Spider monkeys trained to act as distractions for their pickpockets. Some of the most clever monkeys were even trained to pick pockets themselves, always targeting the wealthy and always targeting their gold!
When people lost their money or their gold coins were spent they would claim that the ‘Last Laugh Monkeys’ or ‘Laughing Monkeys’ took them whether this was the truth or not.
This is where the term ‘Laughing Monkeys’ or simply ‘Monkeys’ originated.
Gold ‘Gambler
A extremely popular game in pub and organizations alike in Cauldron is the game of Gems. Most ‘official’ games found in clubs only allow bets in gold pieces on the table.
From this the term Gold ‘Gambler’ originated from.
Delvesdeep
size=3][color=blue]Possible Cauldron Platinum Coins[/color][/size]
Cauldron only minted one batch of platinum coins at the demands of the nobility. They are extremely rare in the town.
Platinum 'Cusp'
The Cusp of Sunrise is a very old, traditional and exclusive club in Cauldron. It was formed very early in Cauldron’s history and has always been a haven for nobles and the wealthy from the toils of modern living. The common citizens of Cauldron are as likely to be allowed membership into this club as they are to own one of Cauldron rare platinum coins and Cauldron’s nobles are the only ones likely to possess a platinum coin in the first place.
It is a fact that Cauldron’s nobility rarely use platinum coins for little other than as ‘chips’ in the game of ‘Gems’ in the club or to pay for drinks, food or services therein.
This is where the term ‘Cusp Coin’ or simple ‘Cusp’ originated.
Platinum ‘Plodder’
Cauldron Platinum coins are both rare and extremely valuable. The common citizen could spend his entire life toiling away to merely survive without ever seeing one. In fact it is a common myth that if you added up all the coppers and silvers you earned in a lifetime it would equal a platinum.
There is a saying in Cauldron –‘A lifetime of plodding earns but a platinum’ and it is from this that the slang: Platinum ‘Plodder’ derives.
Platinum ‘Prison’
There is an old myth that states that over a thousand years past, in and around the extinct volcano that Cauldron was eventually built within, was used to imprison the local people. Stories tell of a time when terrible evil bulbous creatures of slime and acid created a massive prison and made the slaves mine for gold and platinum that was found deep beneath the volcano.
The term Platinum ‘Prison’ originated from the this time.
Delvesdeep
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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I really enjoyed this thread and it got me to thinking about my own game. I opted for a more familiar feel on the local coinage. I did borrow Delvesdeep's hollow center for some of the coins.
Official Currency
Platinum: Celestial—This octagonal coin bears an eight-pointed star on one side and a winged angel on the other. Signifies the crown’s divine right to rule. Commoners have little reason to see or talk about such wealth and thus this coin has no other commonly used name. Some children of nobility have been known to call it a star but this is usually outgrown pretty quickly.
Gold: Sovereign—This round coin bears the face of the current monarch (or deceased monarchs depending on the age of the coin). The Sovereign is also known as a “Crown,” but this is more of a commoner’s term than a merchant or nobles.
Silver: Eagle—This round coin bears the Royal Eagle Crest, also known as a “Pound” for it’s value is roughly equal to the price of a pound of iron. Pound is the more common name of the coin among dwarves and smith’s. A few other common laborers have begun to use the term as well.
Copper: Penny—This round coin has a circular hole in its center. Originally the purpose of the hole was to increase the size of the coin without increasing it’s cost as a way for the crown and the aristocracy to appear more generous to the common laborers who were growing increasing discontent with their poverty and hunger. The nobles had underestimated the intelligence of the commoners who were quite accustomed to valuing coins by weight and thus the uprising the nobility had hoped to avoid was not delayed at all and became known as the Penny Rebellion.
After the uprising the copper coins continued to be minted with the hole in the middle, which allowed a person to thread their coins on a string and wear them in a convenient loop.
The Official Crown issued coin bears two shafts of wheat that cross at the “bottom” of the coin and curve up around the coin’s hollow center. This hole in the center has jokingly been referred to as the coin’s “caldera” leading locals of all classes to refer to the penny as a Cauldron. The previous Lord Mayor obtained a writ from the crown to mint legal coinage featuring a volcano rather than the traditional wheat. Both coins are considered legal tender.
Special Money: When the Lord Mayor’s minter unveiled the first of the new coppers he also made a mere 5 sets of special “collector cauldrons.” These commemorative coins were minted using the new molds but copper, silver, electrum, gold, and platinum were the metals used to make a complete set of five Cauldrons. Each of these sets came in a velvet lined rosewood box. Only the whereabouts of three sets are currently known. Two were stolen several years ago, however, dozens of sets have turned up on the black market. One authenticated set sells at Tygot’s Old Things for in excess of 300gp a price greatly reduced by the counterfeit sets available on the black market. A less scrupulous merchant could probably sell a set to the right collector for 5 to 10 times as much. Oddly due to peculiarities of law each coin regardless of actual value is only legally worth in tender the value of a single copper piece.
Otherwise the coinage values are as listed in the Player’s Handbook.
HOLY INTRICACIES!!!
Delvesdeep, if that's the story behind your coinage system in your campaign, I can't even imagine the complexity of the backstories for your NPCs. WoW!
I know when I'm beat. Hats off to ya!
Ultradan
For Life's Bazaar, I thought it would be neat for the PCs to find coins in Jzaridune minted by the gnomes, shaped like the gear doors!