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Coins of the Forgotten Realms
Coins in D&D are often called simply gold pieces or silver pieces, etc. Realistically each city or country would call their coins something different. In a treasure trove of the Forgotten Realms you could find Sembian florins, grouts from Silverymoon and nobs minted in Zhentil Keep. This gives the game more flavour and reality. However it has been my experience that if the DM varies too far from the traditional AD&D decimal value system (using the English imperial system for example) your players may not be willing to make the jump with you. I recommend that just changing the names of the coins in different areas will be enough of a challenge for your players to keep track of. Following is a suggested list of names for coins minted in different parts of the Forgotten Realms. Where a coin type is not listed (such as platinum pieces in Hillsfar) that location does not mint that particular coin. Coins usually have the profile of the current ruler, the name of the territory or city, and a date on one side, and another icon/picture on the reverse. The names of the coins (Cormyran silver falcon, for example) often originate from the picture on the reverse of the coin. Unless otherwise noted, all coins are accepted (perhaps with some grumbling) at face value anywhere in the Realms. Values separated by a slash indicate the value of the coin anywhere in the Realms (before the slash) and value within that city or territory (after the slash). The following is a mixture of material published by TSR and my own creation.
* Amn also uses trade bars of silver or electrum valued at 500 or 1000 gold pieces. # Mirabar also uses black iron trade bars with the following values:
and finally, two great enemies;
Tethyr Due to the current political state in Tethyr individual cities have started minting their own gold coins. They are worth one gold piece in the city of issue only, elsewhere in the Realms their value is as follows. Note this is only approximately the value as given in "Empire of the Sands" sourcebook which has an even more complicated system.
Calimshan Individual city-states of Calimshan mint their own coins but all can be found anywhere in the country, and often elsewhere in the Forgotten Realms. These coins (including thier weird names) are from the Empire of the Sands sourcebook. Where there is a space the city does not mint coins of that type.
Merchants in the Forgotten Realms commonly use small trade bars of electrum or silver in 10, 25 and 50 gp denominations. They will be stamped with the denomination, the trading company's trail mark or merchant's symbol, and sometimes a date (30% chance). The merchant nation of Amn mints large trade bars valued at 500 and 1000 gp. The nation of Damara at its height exported chalcedony (bloodstone) bars in 25 gp denominations. After its fall these bloodstone bars were deemed worthless. However the country is now struggling to get back on its feet, and the bars may once again become valuable.
Here is another list that gives some descriptive details: Types of "Coins" Bela
Description of "Coins" Bela: A word for paper money used by the savage barbarian tribes to the east of the Realms, bela refers both to bills used in the lands of Kara-Tur and more recent script issued by the over-chief or khahan of the tribes of the Hordelands. In the western Realms, it is worthless and is occasionally offered as an insult.
Blood Notes: Blood notes are scrolls, letters, or other carvings representing IOUs and promissory notes from the listed person to the holder of the note. Blood notes can be made by individuals, adventuring companies, countries, or cities to cover debts and, should debtors still be around, they are legally obligated to pay when a blood note is presented. Blood notes from individuals who are no longer alive are not binding. About 20% of the blood notes found among treasure are still collectable, with one 100 gp value for every "other money" unit found (if 10 "units" of other coinage were found and proved to be a blood note, it would be a blood note worth 1,000 gp). Locating the debtor and convincing him or her to pay up is left to the individuals involved.
Trade Bar, Mirabar: Coming from the wild country north of Waterdeep, these trade bars are made of black iron and shaped like rectangular spindles. They are worth 10 gp in Mirabar itself, 5 gp in the rest of the Realms.
Trade Bar, Merchants': These trade bars are thin, silver bars worth either 10, 20, or 50 gp each. The bar is marked at one end with its value and at the other with the symbol of the trading institution or coster that created it. Broken trade bars are valueless, though most merchants continue to honor the trade bars of defunct institutions. The trade bars of the Iron Throne trading group are not honored by other trading organizations, as this group is considered disreputable. Merchants' trade bars can be manufactured anywhere, but an increasing number of them bear the mint mark of Baldur's Gate. To determine the value of a group of trade bars, roll a d6: d6 Roll Result
Trade Bar, Sembia: Ingot-shaped bars of
silver dotted with copper and marked with the symbol of Sembia, these
trade bars are considered to be worth their face value and are backed
by the wealth of the Merchant Kingdom. To determine the value of Sembian
trade bars, roll a d8: d8 Roll Result
Trade Bar, Lantan: A flat, envelope-shaped bar of worked steel marked with the great wheel of Gond, such bars are worth 20 gp each and are used primarily along the Sword Coast and in other regions where the Lantanna normally trade.
Toal, Waterdeep: The toal is a square brass coin with a hole bored in the center that is commonly used in the City of Splendors. In Waterdeep, it has a value similar to 1 ep (that of 2 gp), but it is considered worthless outside the city.
Harbor Moon, Waterdeep: A harbor moon is a special Waterdhavian coin struck in the shape of a crescent and made of platinum inset with electrum. It is used in bulk purchases in Waterdeep, where it is worth 50 gp. Outside Waterdeep, its value drops to 2 gp per harbor moon.
Steelpense, Sembian: A coin introduced by the Sembian government to replace silver (which the government could then hoard), the steelpense was overproduced and dropped in value until its present value is 1 steelpense=1 copper piece. The Sembian nobles have disavowed the coin's value, but still honor it grudgingly throughout the country. "Buying steelpense with bela" is a byword for fiscal stupidity.
Shou Lung Copper: Any copper coin which is not immediately recognizable is declared to come from the mystical East and is valued at 1 copper piece. Only a small number of these coins honestly come from Shou Lung or any of the Kara-Turan nations, but the name remains.
Shou Lung Silver: Similar to Shou Lung copper, Shou Lung silver refers to any unknown or badly worn silver coin and is valued at 1 silver piece. Some but not all of these coins find their origin in the East.
Shou Lung Trade Bars: These slender bars of silver, definitely oriental in origin, have made their way to the West with the occasional trader and adventurer. Shou Lung trade bars are worth about 40 gp each.
Letter of Trade: Similar to blood notes, letters of trade call for delivery of a particular item or items to the bearer. Only about 10% of these are worth anything; the remainder are written for organizations which no longer exist or for items which have since been sold or delivered elsewhere. Even then, the item (often not mentioned on the letter of trade) to be delivered varies from a small art object to a magical item to (in at least one case) a golem.
Tharsult Statues: Far to the south, the nation of Tharsult uses small art objects in trade. These statues of ivory, jade, and serpentine are used as coinage in that region, and have reached the heartlands of the Realms as curios. Typical statues are worth 15 gp each in the North, but only 5 gp each in their native land.
Shaar Rings: The plainsmen of the Shaar use rings made of sliced and bored ivory hung on long strings. Rings are found in bundles, and each ring is worth 3 gp.
Gond Bells: An odd form of money introduced by the Lantanna and used in areas of the North, in particular in trade between worshipers of Gond. A Gond bell is a small bell made of brass that almost totally encloses a loose ornamental stone which causes it to clatter. Gond bells are worth 10 gp on the open market, 20 gp if traded to a church of Gond.
Mercenary Cards: Mercenary cards are small cards of parchment about the size of a talis card that are marked on one size with the symbol of a particular mercenary unit. The reverse usually has some handwritten scrawl from the troop's paymaster authorizing payment. The payment is equal to 15 gp per unit of "other currency" found. If the mercenary organization still exists, its present paymaster will authorize the payment (and perhaps offer more work as well). Mercenary paymasters are accustomed to individuals producing cards that have been found in monster lairs, stolen, or won in card games.
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This information originally appeared in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures hardbound book (now out-of-print). The material was written by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb, and originally edited by Steve Winter. Scanning and a light editorial touch-up was done by Julia Martin. The information provided here is as of the timeframe of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures hardbound book, which was set shortly after the Time of Troubles (the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR). The data was downloaded from the free-downloads area of the TSR web-site. ©1990 and 1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
