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I was just curious if anyone has given thought to coin names in the Campaign Setting.
One of the things that always strikes me exotic and puts me in the mind set of a game is dealing with foreign currency when traveling.
I just can't imagine that every single country calls their coins "Copper Piece" and "Gold Piece." Even if Abadar has taken over all banking and currency in the world, surely they have more interesting names for coins.
In many of our games we have even created tables for relative values for national coins. When I used to play Shadowrun we had an in game fluctuating value for different currencies. The Euro would be worth X one week, then it slides down to the Nuyen, while the Dollar held steady. Players always insisted upon being paid in a variety of currencies. It was fun.
While I would not go to that extreme with Gollarion (too many countries for a very easy market system) it is interesting to find a bag of Chelaxian Gold Coins, but since they are made half the size of Absalom Gilded Crowns, they are only worth 50 Argent Royals.
But when you have a bag of Absalon Gold coins that are twice the size of your Chelaxian coin you find that it is illegal to use non-Chelaxian coinage and have to go to a currency converter who takes a fee. So instead of getting 2 GP for that Absalom coin you get 1G50S. Still not bad.
Anyway, it is just something else that adds flavor to the game.
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While I can't seem to find it anywhere, I'd written up a bit on types of coins for my Freeport game that went into some racial preferences.
I don't use platinum, replacing it with mithril pieces.
Generally, the coins went;
10 copper pennies equal 1 silver penny
10 silver pennies equal 1 gold penny or 'golden penny'
10 golden pennies equal 1 mithril penny
10 mithril pennies equal 1 adamantine bit
Dwarves preferred weightier coins, and tended to use alloys (as the 'other races' weren't so good at counterfeiting them), using bronze (equalling 2 cp), brass (2 sp) and electrum (1/2 gp) coins at the lower levels, and adamantine bits (100 gp) as their prized currency. They trade in silver, copper and gold among themselves, but generally in trade-bricks that range from 20 to 100x their value in coin weight.
Elves preferred smaller coins, and were believed to be the source of the 'pennies' standard size (although they were never known to use adamantine). Halflings followed the elven preferences.
Humans preferred weighter *gold* coins, and so had 'gold doubloons,' which were worth (and weighed) 10x as much as a gold penny, and were much preferred over mithril pennies.
Gnomes had an insanely micro-scaled system of their own that had coins below copper (lead and tin) and had as the pinnacle of the scale, flasks of liquid mercury worth 25 gp.
Because of ancient elven dominance, most human kingdoms used the 'pennies' system, but also the 'doubloons,' because they would mint their own doubloons with the faces of local rulers, or the coat of arms of their kingdom or, in some cases, the holy symbol of a relevant diety (with at least one church having it's own mint). It was generally agreed that trying to fit any sort of portraiture on a penny was just too hard, and so bigger gold coins were a must for the status-conscious and short-lived human rulers, looking to have their faces immortalized.
The dwarven system never really caught on because of the extra level of work required to make alloy coins, the ease of non-dwarves to be ripped off by improperly mixed alloys (or even succumb to such boner moves as mistaking brass coins for bronze), and the dwarves lack of cooperation in spreading their system anyway. Dwarves also stampt their coins with runic markings around the edges that detail where they were made, what mines the ores involved came from, which master coinsmith oversaw their manufacture, etc. It's all engraved finely, but deeply into the coin, and yet another guarantor against forgery, which the dwarves take *very* seriously...
Nobody even seriously considered the gnomish system, which has the added joy of fluctuating coin values, as gnomish 'speculators' buy and sell various coins depending on rumors of scarcities or oversupplies in various areas, a process that no other race really understands (and most serious moneylenders question whether or not the *gnomes* even truly understand their system, as quite a few of them lose their shirts 'playing the market').
Obviously, I'd have to tweak some of the ideas to 'Golarion-ize' them, with Gnomes being quite a bit less like the fussbudget-y Eberron creatures in particular, but the idea sounds fun to adapt. Abadar would definitely be one church that would have their own mints and countinghouses, particularly in Qadira.
Given the connection with genies, Qadirans might also make use of brass coins, both 'pennies' equal to silver pieces and 'shields' of 10x value and size. Rumors might about that these coins are genie-forged and not made of real metal, but they wouldn't detect as magical or special in any way, and it would only be rumor spread by jealous rivals who wish to discourage people taking Qadiran coin in exchange for 'real money'...
Some devils have a dislike of silver, so coins of silver might be considered something of a status symbol in Cheliax, with the lower ranking members of society tending to keep them hidden away, and the wealthier members flaunting them (and flaunting the suggestion that they are powerful enough to get away with flashing metal that devils dislike, because they are stronger than devils!).
I like the added flavour of different names for coins. Andoran silver wolves and gold falcons that are different from the five-sided copper Imps, silver Kytons and Gold Fiends they use in Cheliax really evoke the feeling of a living, breathing world.
But in day-to-day adventuring, I just couldn't be bothered to bother with that too much, and my players even less. That pretty much precludes any difference in value.
I think that just like there is a common language, there should be a common coin size. Doesn't mean there can't be a tuppeny piece which is worth two copper, or a carpenter's gold which is only half-size.
It's just that in general play, currency exchange is a hassle.
10 golden pennies equal 1 mithril penny
10 mithril pennies equal 1 adamantine bit
I don't like mithral or adamantine coins. I didn't like steel coins, either (they had them in dragonlance).
Copper coins are okay, as are silver and gold, and platinum - because those metals have no "practical" use. You can make coins out of them, or jewelry, and they're precious, but you can't make a sword out of gold - at least not one that would survive a real battle. So let the mints go cracy with the stuff.
But using rare metals that make the best weapons and armour for coinage doesn't make sense in a world where those weapons are so important.
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In a previous fantasy game, the human model of coinage was derived from the dwarves, using copper, silver, and gold (I don't like using platinum).
The dwarves made their coins as rectangular pieces with a small hole in a corner so they could be threaded together. The coins were very intricate in design and were by far the "Gold Standard."
Humans tended to make coins of different shapes and sizes, depending upon the economies of the time. Earlier in history, gold coins were quite large, during darker times they were very tiny. Sometimes they were round, sometimes they were hexagons, or octagons, or square. The human minting technology was never was precise as the dwarves. Their coins tended to be slightly out of shape and uneven, and the designs were basic, even rudimentary. Trade required a scale to verify weights and therefore value.
Elves traded in gems. Emeralds, Rubies, Sapphires, and occasional Diamonds. Each tribe had a preferred way to cut their gems and a preferred size, so trade necessitated a scale.
Halflings used a barter system amongst themselves that worked quite simply. With outsiders they used whatever system was most convenient.
Gnomes we never really developed. But now I picture them using furs and bones or ivory for their currency.
Orcs don't use a currency, they just steal what they want.
During this game is where we developed the currency system, with sliding values. It really was fun for the players to go through the treasure and see what they had in what coinage.
I was just curious if anyone has given thought to coin names in the Campaign Setting.
Anyway, it is just something else that adds flavor to the game.
In my home game, I haven't given specific names (never been good at naming anything) to the coins used in play, but I've made sure to let the players know that there is a difference between the coinage of the different areas. In one campaign, there's an orcish nation with their own crude coinage.
It's still the PP, GP, SP and CP scale, but they've got descriptions that make them a part of each place. Orcish coins are smaller, more crudely made. Might not even be full gold. Elven coins are always lighter than most, thin too. Dwarven are slightly heavier but darned near impossible to fake because of the craftmanship. Since there are also different human nations in it, each one has their own coinage too.
When we get our PF game running harder, I'll probably have similar themes and feels for each curency based on the national/regional flavors.
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I believe it depends on where you are located. I know in Korvosa, they have (correct me if I'm wrong) Copper Pinches, Silver Shields, Gold Sails, and Platinum Crowns. Something like that.I forgot this thread... dang...
Where did you find that? That is the stuff I like.
Guide to Korvosa, page 5.
I recently came up with the following classification for taldan numismatics (couldn't find specific details anywhere):
- Copper Towers
- Silver Knights ("horsemen" as a derogative term used by the upper class which shun lesser values)
- Gold Lions
- Platinum Crowns
Accurately minted cylindrical ingots of gold, bearing intricated heraldic symbols and runes, are also used in transactions involving large sums of money, and are called Lesser Scepters (100 gp), Royal Scepters (500), and Imperial Scepters (1000 gp).
...
- Copper Towers
- Silver Knights ("horsemen" as a derogative term used by the upper class which shun lesser values)
- Gold Lions
- Platinum Crowns...
For a moment, I read that as Platinum Clowns... :)
My Legacy of Fire players just got a raise. I fired up Google and established that in Katapesh, gold coins are zarigs. (I also avoided calling them "golden" whatevers in-character, which always seems clumsy to me. They got a footnote instead.) It's not a perfect fit (Kelesh is more of a Persia analog than Katapesh is, right down to its relationship with Taldor by way of Qadira.) but I don't think they'll complain. Helpfully, it didn't sound like any modern currency name I'm familiar with.
They'd probably think I just made it up myself, but they already know I'm the kind of guy who swipes stuff like this. (Also one of them is probably reading this post on his RSS feed.) When I granted them a pardon in another game, I had the decree read aloud and patterned it after medieval charters. It's one of the little minigames that helps me make up for knowing all the plot twists.
(Also one of them is probably reading this post on his RSS feed.)
What's he talking about? I'd *never* do such a thing!
In my home brew we use the following coin values:
1/2 Copper, Copper, 1/2 Silver, Silver, Gold, Platinum
Some of the names used in various regions (presented in the same order as the coin values).
1/2 Bit, Bit, 1/2 Tongue, Tongue, Fire, Beacon
Needle, Acorn, Sapling, Tree, Sun, Eagle
Fox Tail, Fox, Wolf Pup, Wolf, Crown, Tower
Needle, Acorn, Wolf Pup, Wolf, Sun, Eagle
Chit, Button, Brick, Stone, Knight, Dragon
Flea, Tick , Snake, Bear, Horse, Spear
1/2 Coin, Coin, Blessing, Prayer, Martyr, Angel
Knife, Dagger, Axe, Sword, Mage, Mask
(Also one of them is probably reading this post on his RSS feed.)What's he talking about? I'd *never* do such a thing!
Stalker!
I too have always found it more interesting to make-up my own coinage and enjoy the creativity of others when they do it the games I play in. I have used both fictional and historical names for coins. Also, I have changed the value depending upon the game. In fact, these values can flux during a campaign. Depending on in-game story arcs, such as war,trade wars, and invasion. Some of the names I have used are;
pence (coppers), shilling (silvers), crown (gold), sovereign (gold)
pigeons (coppers), gulls (silvers), hawks (silvers), eagles (gold), Phoenix (platinum)
citizens (Coppers), republics(silvers), imperials (silver & gold), legends(silver & gold), royals (gold)
Brass wheels, silver wheels, gold wheels, silver dragons, gold dragons, Platinum Stars
Funny thing, in my current campaign, it is sort of a first world fey/elven/sylvan area and they use no currency. Instead a system of borrowing, personal time/services, and sometimes barter (usually when halflings and dwarves are involved)is used. It was interesting as my group had never done anything like this before and it took all of us a little bit of time before everyone was comfortable. The usual "How much to make me a crafted sword?" Hailed many answers, and was very dependent upon your relationship with the maker. Although, if it took him a month to make the sword, he would most likely ask for a month of your time either working on odd jobs for him or in exchange for some type of craft time from you. It is alot of fun and fits some of my unusual ideas for elves/fey/and sylvan folk. Of course, we make jokes about them being Communists elves and such!
My current Pathfinder game is set in Varisia, almost all of it in Magnimar's demesnes. I've based Magnimar's coinage names on those of England.
The cp is called the "penny" (plural "pence")
The sp is called the "shilling" (or "bob" in slang)
The gp is called the "ducat" (because "pound" would get confusing)
The pp is called the "noble", and is very rare.
I've stated in my campaign background that most countries of the Inner Sea have all adopted the "Taldan Standard" of coin sizes and relative exchange rates, so coins minted in other lands are generally accepted at face value. This is done for convenience.
In my previous campaign world, I used the "English silver standard." The base coin was the silver shilling (s), and all prices in the books that read "GP" now read "s".
12 copper pence (d) (singular "penny") equaled one shilling. All prices from the books in sp were now in pence.
Pennies were scored, and could be broken in half ("ha'pennies") or, more commonly, quarters ("farthings" or "f"). Prices in the books that were in cp were half that in farthings. (e.g. a tallow candle costs 1 cp; they were now 2 for a farthing.)
20 shillings equaled one gold noble (or "pound," as one of these coins would buy a pound of silver.)
There were also other oddball coins in the realm (all based on actual historical coins):
The doubloon was a larger gold coin, and worth two nobles.
The crown was a smaller gold coin, and worth 5 shillings.
The half-crown was a larger silver coin, and worth 2 shillings and sixpence.
The sixpence coin was a larger copper coin and worth 6 pence.
So,
1 noble = 20 shillings = 240 pence = 960 farthings.
Oh-- and that world didn't have platinum coins. Platinum was so rare that it was only used as an alchemical curiosity, or occasionally in jewelry.
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For my Council of Thieves game, I used the following:
platinum = pact
gold = debt
silver = favor
copper = piece
Gives extra meaning to the phrase, "Could you do me a favor?"
This page of the Pathfinder Wiki lists the coin names for Absalom and Korvosa. (I know that the Korvosa part was already answered upthread, but the Wiki also mentions rules of usage, e.g. "copper pinch" is for one or many coins and never pinches.)
I'm rez bumping this thread. Good stuff. Anybody else have something to add.
I do. Unless I skipped it, no one mentioned the historical variable (for those that like it, of course).
I mean, the current rulers of Cheliax may have shifted currency names and looks from what they were before the Death of Aroden.Apply the same world-scale, with the countless rulers and countries that are and were, and imagine.
Lovin it!
Here's the Numeria coin standard:
Copper - Brass
Silver - Chrome
Gold - Tek
Platinum - Laser
Coin names for Golarion can be found on page 253 in the Inner Sea Guide
It gives them for Cheliax, Andoran, Katapesh, Absalom, Brevoy
Despite owning the book, I actually hadn't noticed that table. Good to know.