What kind of currency does your people use, or is it a natural economy?

[BloodyHellSausage]

Assuming it's a economy that uses money, what kind of money is used, what kind of details can you give for it, and what does it look like? (Pictures are appreciated, but not required.)

If it's a natural economy, like a barter or gift system, how does it work in your world?

 

[pmmg]

In my current WIP world, I fear I am still wrestling with this. I had been using coins for this, but I've not come up with a name for the currency that I am happy with, and to add complication, there are several different cultures involved who may all call their currency by a different name. The only thing I know for certain is I don't want to use gold piece and silver piece, as that is too RGPish for me. The current culture I am writing in though, I imagine as not quite entirely civilized. They have one fairly established city, and one outpost that is a little more than just in the wilds, but the rest is kind of untamed.

I am thinking that this region would very likely still be using a barter system, or, as I am now leaning, to a phase in between coins and barter, such as silver weight. In the hybrid, there would be some proper coins that might be used on a trade route, but in the more wild areas, it will likely be that pieces of silver (or copper or gold) equating to some weight or that it just looks like its enough, will be the form of trade. I think ultimately, I will likely use all three, and maybe something else somewhere along the way, such as a type of credit. Who knows? I think I am avoiding this a little because it adds greater complication to the story to have to explain the currency, and coins are just easier--they don't require explanation. So, I am on the fence.

I do have names for some of the coins, but like I said. I am not happy with them. They may change.

 

[elemtilas]

Many economies in The World are probably what you'd call barter or gift systems. Most are more what I'd call analogues to Christian socialism. But there are monied economies as well, or partially monied economies.

In the Eastlands of The World, several countries use money-like tokens of various kinds. Here some examples of the paper variety.

 

[Saigonnus]

My world has currency that is largely determined by what is available. One kingdom has a lot of copper, so they use that for coinage. Money though is largely for trade with neighboring kingdoms, the rest is the barter system.


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[skip.knox]

Mine being an alternate history, I am using the existing currencies of the Middle Ages. That provides a delightfully muddled mix without my having to add anything.

Still unresolved, though, is the question of what dwarves, fae, orks and others use. That topic still bubbles away on a back burner.

 

[BloodyHellSausage]

Still unresolved, though, is the question of what dwarves, fae, orks and others use. That topic still bubbles away on a back burner.

They're colonised by humans, so they use human currency!

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Mostly I use coins. Coppers, silvers and Golds. In my latest I used Stynes - the word fitted with the name of the realm - and a base twelve system so that there were twelve stynes to a noble styne and twelve noble stynes to a royal styne. In another I used bits and pieces (pirate coinage rather than computer tech). Mostly I'd stay away from barter since the earliest sort of analagous period I'd use is the middle ages, and coinage was accepted. Switching to barter is an element that would mostly be indicative of a more primitive culture - with some exceptions of course.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[WooHooMan]

My setting initially used precious gems (mostly quartz) as money. So, coins never really became a thing.
Paper money took off when banks and other financial institutions would give promissory notes and IOUs to traders who deposited gems. This was useful as carrying around paper notes was either than carrying around gems.

Today, there are three major powers in the setting: the Red Banner League, the Stonewall League and the UPA. Each of these three have their own currency.

The UPA's currencies don't have an official name though they are sometimes called notes, libks or tenders. They are basically just sheets of paper which have a worth equal to some commodity (usually grain, tobacco leaves or steel).
These notes can be issued by any authorized official in the UPA who are then personally responsible for vouching the notes value. The notes are issued when commodities are sold/donated to the UPA. Notes can (in theory) be traded in to the UPA for the commodity that they represent.

The UPA also has a second type of currency called "merchant bills" but only authorized people may exchange them and they can only be used for a specific set of transactions (mostly international trade).

The Red Banner's banknote is called the Crown. It can be printed by any facility authorized by the Red Banner League. It's value is backed by a gemstones within a Red Banner-operated treasury.

I haven't made a Stonewall bill but it operates as a mix of the other two. It's value can be backed by any authorized commodity (gems, metals, resources, etc.) but can only be printed/issued in authorized institutions which hold these commodities.
The Stonewall bills can also gather interest which means their value goes-up incrementally as time goes on.

 

[claramcalister]

I tend to really like using coins in my worlds; most my currencies are 1 coin per 1 pound of goods, with special currencies for large goods or large amounts that can't easily be weighed...Then again, most my economies are based on a system where goods are directly exchanged for other goods of equal weight and value. So that factors pretty heavily into it.

 

[Corwynn]

My setting is broadly based on the 19th century, so most countries use a combination of coins and banknotes. All currencies are backed by some precious commodity, usually silver and/or gold, and can (in theory at least) be redeemed for an equivalent value of that commodity.

One kingdom uses a unique currency called Pearls, which as its name suggests is pearl-backed. It has three denominations: whites, blacks, and roses. Four whites make a black, and three blacks make a rose. The ratio is based on the relative market values of those types of pearls at the time the currency was introduced. Coins and bills mimic the colours of their namesake. Whites use silver and other grey metal coins and bills with grey ink on white paper. Blacks use obsidian coins and black on grey bills, and roses use rose gold coins and red on pink bills. Actual pearls were a common medium of exchange there before money was introduced, and some merchants will still accept them, despite them not being legal tender.

Many other countries and regions have their own unique currency quirks as well.

Barter and other "natural" economies survive in many remote parts of the world, but even "primitive" cultures will often accept money as well since many are surprisingly well-connected with the outside world. You would have to go pretty deep into the backwoods parts of the world (as in literally uncharted territory) before the locals would stop accepting currency altogether. Even if money has no value locally, it may to foreigners you might trade with.

 

[Rkcapps]

I've made up coins. Crowns and Loops. Still working out details and if details are needed.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

You know that crowns are a British one ounce silver coin?

Cheers, Greg.

 

[elemtilas]

Hi,

You know that crowns are a British one ounce silver coin?

Cheers, Greg.

Indeed! Many countries have / had "crowns" as a coin or currency unit. The British crown was a 5 shilling piece, and they make them still as commemorative pieces. Other Commonwealth countries do/did as well.

Austria-Hungary had the corona; Czech Republic has the korun; Norway has kroner; Denmark and Sweden too; the American colonies also had currency denominated in crowns (among other things).