One of my big questions, is wether or not Pathfinder will have its own currency system instead of the standard. One of the things i have never really liked is the gold piece being the standard coin of the system. I've always wanted to use the Silver in my own games.
If you REALLY want a complex currency system, try doing the two Japanese (noble and commoner) systems bound by the koku, the Chinese Imperial standard, and the midevil Russian and English coin systems. I like throwing odd coins into my games, but the book-keeping gets ridiculous.
Then try doing a spreadsheet for calculating supply and demand based on a three-month history. The party almost single-handedly reduced the peasantry of their starting village to starvation.
Anyway, back to the point. For compatibility reasons, Pathfinder almost has to stick with the 3.0 currency standard. More complex systems are possible, but caveat emptor - the more work you put into a realistic economy, the more work it'll want in the future.
Although I do have a soft spot in my heart for electrum.Oye.. the greater the platinum piece currency.
Just the opposite, actually. Electrum falls between silver and gold in value.
We will be sticking with the standard. Although I do have a soft spot in my heart for electrum.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
Man I miss electrum too. I've been thinking about reintroducing for my home games, just because it's nifty.