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Currency
Currency 1 exists in 2 main forms: coins and bars. While different kingdoms or states may put
different seals on their currency, usually imprints of the images of gods or rulers, over the years all have
adopted identical measures for the minting of coins and bars. All coins are the same weight, 1/8 th of an
ounce. 1 pound in weight is equal to 240 coins. A bar equals 1 pound and has the same value as 240
corresponding coins. The dimensions of bars are 3” x 2” x 2”. Coins are as follows:
Coin Equivalent IP: H/
P/
B Common Use
Diamete r Thickne
ss
1 gold
piece
( g.
p.
) 20silverpieces( s.
p.
) 1/ 1/
15
N obility
and
Royalty
1 4/
16"
1/
16”
1 electr
um
piece
( e.
p.
) 10silverpieces( s.
p.
) 2/ 2/
12
A ncient
Hoards
1 3/
16"
1/
16”
1 silver
piece
( s.
p.
) 4 copper
pieces
( c.
p.
) 3/ 3/
10
S laves,
Peasants,
Serfs
1 2/
16"
1/
16”
1 copper
piece
( c.
p.
) 4 bronze
pieces
( b.
p.
) 4/ 4/
8 A ncient
Hoards
1 1/
16"
1/
16”
1 bronze
piece
( b.
p.
) 1 bronze
piece
( b.
p.
) 5/ 5/
10
A ncient
Hoards
1 0/
16"
1/
16”
Of the coins listed above, only silver pieces
(s.p.) and gold pieces (g.p.) are in circulation. Electrum
pieces (e.p.), copper pieces (c.p.), and bronze
pieces (b.p.) are not in circulation, though they may
be found in ancient treasure hoards. If the proportion
of silver to gold in a coin is higher than 1/5 th ,
then it is an e.p., not a g.p. It is believed that all gold
in circulation could be melted down into an area of
2 yards cubed. Since few g.p. exist, s.p. is the common
currency. All equipment prices are listed in
s.p.
To put currency in perspective, the average
character is a peasant. Most peasants struggle to
earn enough to feed themselves and their family,
earning several s.p. for a day’s labor. Out of the
family’s earnings, peasants usually purchase beer and
bread as the daily staple, and some enjoy nothing
else. Most peasants wear the same clothes throughout
the year; poverty means struggling to survive.
Peasants live in hamlets or villages, are not free, and
belong to a lord. In larger communities, slaves may
be more common than citizens. Typically, peasants
live in single-room huts that are often 16’ x 12’, or
2-room cottages measuring 33’ x 13’. A byrne (barn)
401
may also be a peasant residence. These structures
are built to last about 20 years before needing to be
torn down and rebuilt. Few peasants ever travel far
from their homes.
Serfs are free citizens who live in communities
equal in size to, or larger than, a town. Those
who own land typically have a long house that may
average 50’ in length. Most serfs earn less than 1
g.p. per day, and use their earnings to purchase and
pay slaves.
Nobility, of course, usually earns at least 1
g.p. per day, and often more, though they are paid
most often with s.p. A noble is far from an average
character.
While coins are the popular currency for
most trade, bars are usually reserved for large purchases
between kingdoms or states. The presence
of bars usually indicates royal property or stolen royal
property.
Finally, before listing equipment, it may be
helpful to note that there are 16 ounces in a pound
and 2,000 pounds or 250 gallons in a ton. Equipment
is numbered to facilitate determining Plunder
in Chapter 14: Treasure.
1. The system of currency has been developed after considering ancient and medieval European currency. The silver piece is
based on the Carolingian denier (d.) and Slovak Grosh, which evolved from the Roman denarius. The gold piece is based on
the Venetian ducat. The other coins are based on coins from ancient Rome, Greece, and the Celts. Samples of at least 45 coins
of each type were averaged to deduce diameter. In history, many aspects of coins differed with time and place, including alloy,
size, weight, and worth. The currency system in F.A.T.A.L. is generalized from history and is a broad representation of
medieval and ancient European currency.
Chapter 9: Equipment