Some existing campaign settings specify certain shapes for certain coins. ![]() ![]() So, with that said, let’s dive into the basics of D&D coins. And for the DM to have to remember that gold coins from Nordicland and Frenchia are only worth 2/ 3 and 5/ 8 of the local gold coin in Romeplace (respectively) is often too much hassle when you are pressed for time and your players just want to buy the supplies from the patrician merchant before heading out on the adventure. Having to remember to trade gold coins where the exchange rate is more favourable before heading where the coins will be spent may be something your players would find interesting the first two or three times before it simply becomes a chore. The point that must be made is: there will be elements of the rest of the article that will sometimes smack as being anachronistic (at best) or impractical (at worst), and it is important to remember that the game developers opted to use the current mechanics because they are simple and do not require that players concern themselves overmuch with the minutiae. Finally, no single coin (of any type of metal) has ever had a universal value, so the idea that you can take your gold coins minted in the Kingdom of Westland and use them normally 3,000 miles away in the Eastplace Caliphate is patently … well, you get the idea. Likewise, in ancient Greece when silver and electrum (a silver-gold alloy) circulated concurrently, a single 14.1 gram stater made of electrum was worth ten 14.1 gram pieces of silver (instead of the 5:1 ratio between silver and electrum in 5E). Additionally, platinum was worth less than silver (in fact, counterfeiters would substitute it for silver or alloy it with gold, debasing the local currency). Platinum, for instance, only first started to be used for coins after the Spanish colonized the Americas, when our technology had become good enough that we could get the metal to its very high melting point and actually make coins out of it. While there have been many times in history where gold, silver, copper (or, rather, orichalcum), electrum, and even platinum coins have been in circulation, they never once all appeared together and, even when a few of them did, their relative values were drastically different than what is presented in D&D. Not a single thing about the coins you will encounter-their size, their value, their frequency-is solidly based in any real-world medieval analogue. The first note that must be made in an examination of the fantastic numismatics of Dungeons & Dragons is that they are just that: fantastic. Now, let’s dive into the strange world of D&D currency… They are a wonderful bunch of people who are active in the gaming community and, if you use our coupon code ‘DMW’, will give you free domestic shipping on your order! ![]() They currently have Game Master Screens available for pre-order. Wyrmwood are a talented team of craftsmen who make all sorts of gaming accessories from dice trays to card boxes. Ever wondered how many coins could fit in that pirate chest, or make up the bed of the red dragon? Or maybe just how big your coin purse has to be in order to fit the 2,000 gp you currently have on you? To help both DMs and players manage their fictional wealth, we’ve written this article.īefore we get into it, we’d like to give a quick shout-out to our wonderful sponsor, Wyrmwood.
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