Alternative Currency Names

The Levitator

First Post
Hello everyone! I'm currently using FR as a campaign setting, so we are using the names they provide for currency like nibs, shards, dragons and suns in Waterdeep, etc. I would like to expand on that for some of the smaller regions and I was wondering if anyone had any sources for alternative currency names?
 

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Not so much different names, but I did use different forms of currency. Such as the dust of such precious metals bound up in quill feathers of varying sizes.

Size Value
Small X pieces x 5
Medium X pieces x 10
Large X pieces x 20

The value X means whatever type of precious metal the quill contains. For example, a small quill filled with gold dust is worth 5 GPs.

Also, the quills from exotic creatures are valuable in and of themselves. Quills from creatures such as Achaierai, Cockatrices, Vrocks, Hippogriffs, and so on can add to the value.

Small 1d4x50 GPs
Medium 1d3x100 GPs
Large 1d2x200 GPs

All quills are stamped with their value on the metal band (usually of the same material the quill is filled with) sealing the end. Tampering with this band usually destroys it, in which case merchants usually offer only 1/4 the listed value for the quill no matter the amount of dust in the quill. All quills are weighed before acceptance as currency (standard practice).
 

The old Forgotten Realms Adventures hardback from 1990 had a fairly extensive chapter on treasure in the Realms, and ways to make treasure (coins, gems and art objects) Realms-specific. I always throw lots of these into my Realms games to add flavor.

Here are alternate names for coins, and alternate coins:

Platinum:
Tricrown (generic name for a platinum piece)
Amnian Roldon

Gold:
Cormyrian Golden Lions (the de facto standard gold piece, a 5-sided coin)
Amnite Danter (common in the south)
Tethyriian Gulder moelan, myrat and zoth

Silver:
Cormyrian Falcons
Sembian Hawks (the coins are triangular)
Amnian Tarite
Calimshite Decarche, Espedrille and Red Worm of Memnon (a silver piece with thin layer of ochre paint, ones with the dye worn off are commonly called "skinned worms")

Copper:
Cormyrian Thumbs
Calimshite Unarches, Rada, Niftens and Spanners
Amnian Fanders

Electrum Pieces: (Not in common use in 3e, but in earlier editions they were worth half a gold).
Cormyrian Eyes
Sembian Electrums (Diamond shaped)
Calimshite Tazos and Zonths
Amnite Centaurs
Silverymoon Moons (worth 1 ep normally, worth twice that, essentially worth 1 gp, in Silverymoon)

Other:
Steelpence (Steel piece worth 1 cp in Sembia)

Bela (paper money from Kara Tur, sometimes used by the Hordelands barbarians, essentially worthless in the Realms, sometimes given as an insult.)

Blood Notes (IOU's and promisory notes)

Mirabar Trade Bar (rectangular black iron trade bars worth 10 GP in Mirabar, 5 GP everywhere else)

Merchant's Trade Bar (bullion bars of gold used as high-denomination trade, minted only by merchantile institutions, not by countries. Come in 10 gp, 20 gp and 50 gp denominations)

Sembian Trade Bar (bullion silver bars minted by Sembia as high denomination trade bars, in 5 gp, 10 gp, 25 gp and 50 gp value)

Lantan Trade Bar (flat, envelope shaped trade bar of steel with the holy symbol of Gond stamped in, worth 20 gp in Lantan and on the Sword Coast [where Gond and the Lantanese are often found] practically worthless elsewhere.

Waterdeep Toal (square brass coin with a hole in the middle, worth 1/2 of a gp in Waterdeep, virtually worthless elsewhere).

Watderdeep Harbor Moon (Small platinum coin with electrum inset, worth 50 gp in Waterdeep, 2 gp everywhere else)

Shou Lung Copper/Silver (generic term for a copper or silver piece that is unrecognizable in nature but still made of copper and valuable as raw metal. Rarely comes actually from Shou Lung, but it's a common term for it.)

Shou Lung Trade Bars (long slender bars of silver stamped with oriental symbols, worth 40 gp)

Letters of Trade (Letters tradable on demand for a specific item, ones found as treasure are still only valid about 10% of the time, sort of an IOU for a non-monetary item).

Tharsult Statues (Small statuettes of ivory and jade used as trade items in Tharsult). Worth 15 gp as an art object and curiousity in most of the realms, worth only 5 gp as a trade item in their homeland.

Shaar Rings (bundles of rings/discs made of ivory and hung on long strings, used as currency by natives of the Shaar. A typical ring will be worth 3 gp for the Ivory in it).

Gond Bells (brass ornamental bells enclosing an ornamental stone, worth 10 gp on the open market, 20 gp in trade to the Church of Gond)

Mercenary Cards (pay vouchers from mercenary units, typically the size of a playing card, signed by the unit's paymaster, typically with a seal or insignia on it).
 

My Homebrew; (fractions of a pound)

Elorhim (commonly used by Human nations): Platinum Ducat (half weight 1/64). Gold Eagle (half-weight 1/64), Double Eagle (1/32); Silver Dollar (1/32); Copper Penny (1/32).

Human (starting to replace Elorhim money in some areas): Silver Dinar (1/40) (Commonly called "Clams" in one seagoing nation); Copper Pence (1/40).

Calasean: All metals; Ingot (40lbs), Bar (1 lb), Strip (1/40).

The Dwarves tend not to make consistent mint coins.


I also use a different conversion rate;

1 Mithril = 10 Gold; 1 Platinum = 5 Gold; 1 Gold = 40 Silver; 1 Silver = 20 Copper.
 
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Commoner, Merchant, Noble, Emperor

I don't remember where I read this, but I once saw the following coin descriptions:

Commoner (cp)
Merchant (sp)
Noble (gp)
Emperor (pp)

The coinage was referred to by using the name of those levels of society that most used them
 

I Iron Kingdoms has different coin names for each nation.

ie. in Cygnar
Tower=1pp
Crown=1gp
Shield=1sp
Farthing=1 cp

The IK also has coversion rates for the different nations. ie. the crown might be receive a 80% rate in one country and maybe a 75% rate in another.

it was a neat idea.
 

Currency

I use many different names for the currencies of various nations in my homebrew, either culled from real-world examples, or made up on the spot, including:

Dinars, Shekels, Centimes, Marks, Pfennig, Sovereigns, Royals, Crowns, Pennies, Talents, Shillings, etc.

Some of the countries even use more esoteric materials in their currency - such as obsidian or lead.

In essence, I tend to make all the currencies of equal value (ie, mainly the bog standard gold/silver/copper exchange rate) and the names are purely for flavour.
 
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QuentinGeorge said:
I use many different names for the currencies of various nations in my homebrew, either culled from real-world examples, or made up on the spot

I do something similar in my homebrew.

The standard gold pieces have a bunch of different names, depending on the nation that minted them. However, I also have gold "half crowns" (half the weight and value of the standard gp) and gold "marks" (one-quarter the weight and value of the standard gp).

The standard silver piece is always called a "silver penny." There are also "half pennies" and "farthings" - the latter are one-fifth the weight and value of the standard sp, rather than one-quarter. (E.g. size and weight is about that of a US dime, and value is 2 cp).

The standard copper piece is called the "copper orc bit" - usually shortened to "copper bit," "orc bit" or just "bit" (As in, "that keg of cider will cost you three bits."
 


WOW! Great replies everyone! I really appreciate it! I was thinking about making an exchange rate too between the larger kingdoms. This really gives me some great ideas! :D
 

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