Aaaand this would be why one might think my campaigns never get off the ground...
Spent a fun couple hours messing around with the house ruled coinage system for my "Beyond the Wall" proto-Celtic/Arthurian campaign setting, which starts in the greater region of Albion in what is more or less known as the Realm of Uisliu (in the ancient Druidic tales and sagas, anyway). I couldn't resist the historical context of the coin nomenclature, and hope it will go a long way in obtaining a robustly "gritty" yet still fantasy feel to the setting, to wit:
"Coinage of the Realm
The most common alloy used in minting is silver, and prices will generally be expressed as such. Copper is also used frequently for lesser valued coins, and gold or gold/silver alloys can be found in more highly developed trading regions.
In Albion, coin nomenclature is rooted in the bureaucratic reign of the Grande Marshals who forced the country several hundred years ago. The gold ducat derives its name from minting authority resting primarily in the hands of the regional governors, or Dux. Likewise, it was the guilds of the realm which had express authority to mint low value coinage required to support every facet of daily commerce, and thus copper coins are known as gylders. In an effort of practicality, the Dux also minted electrum coins for durability as well as to spread the utility of much rarer gold. Equating to roughly a quarter of a gold ducat in value, these gold-silver alloy coins were symbolically titled talon after the four claws of the eagle- the Dux emblem of state. They are still known by their eagle emblems on at least one face. As silver coins were (and are) the most common currency of significant value, they were traditionally minted with an image of the current head of state etc. Though officially known first as a “dinarii” and later as “lumin,” the vulgate term “crown” has become ubiquitous even among bureaucrats, who are well known to enjoy a good pun as much as the next citizen of the realm.
Origin Gold (4ep) Electrum (20sp) Silver (12cp) Copper
Albion: ducat talon crown/dinarii/lumin gylder
Caladonia: regal farthing shilling/crown sheckle/gylder
Prydain: regal farthing shilling/crown sheckle/gylder
Ayrgael: regal farthing shilling/crown sheckle/gylder
Hybernia: regal farthing shilling/crown sheckle/gylder
Bajlgothi: jargyld - wergyld fennyg
Urkonan: - - mark -
Dwarven: sovereign crown penny common
Gnome : sickle ring bar lyvre
Haufling: - - penny sheckle"
Albion, Caladonia, Prydain, Ayrgael and Hybernia comprise the traditional human divisions of the Realm of Uisliu, although in current affairs, government is greatly more localised...
Coinage of the Realm
- Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
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Money can vary as much as any other aspect of culture from region to region and nation to nation. I like the detail & history behind the coinage - good stuff!
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
- Necron 99
- Level 8: Noble
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I dig the naming for the coinage, most kosher. Thanks for the insight, Wes.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” - Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien