Money in Aletheia is simple in principle and complicated in practice.
Across most stable regions, trade rests on a silver standard. Silver is the backbone of daily exchange, wages, and taxation. Gold exists, copper exists, and barter persists — but silver defines value.
This article explains how that system works.
1. The Silver Standard
The foundational unit of currency in Aletheia is the Silver Penny (SP).
In most regions and most periods:
1 Silver Penny equals approximately one day’s wage for a common labourer.
This is not exact in every city or season, but it is close enough to serve as a reliable baseline.
Because of this, the silver penny is meaningful. It is not loose change. It represents real labour.
Silver pennies are typically:
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Hammered or pressed discs
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Marked with the seal of a ruler, city, or recognized authority
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Struck to a consistent weight standard
Trust in a silver coin depends on confidence in its mint.
2. Gold Crowns
Gold coins circulate far less frequently.
The most widely recognized gold unit is the Gold Crown (GC).
1 Gold Crown = 20 Silver Pennies
Gold is not everyday currency. It is used for:
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Large trade agreements
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Land transactions
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Guild contracts
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Temple endowments
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Major magical commissions
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Noble obligations
Most commoners may never handle a gold coin in their lifetime.
In practice, gold often moves between institutions rather than individuals.
3. Copper Pennies
Copper exists, but it is not universal.
Copper pennies are primarily:
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Minted in urban centers
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Issued by city-states or commercial powers
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Used for small-scale daily transactions
They are convenient in markets but lack universal trust.
Outside their region of minting:
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They may be discounted
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Valued only by weight
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Exchanged through licensed money-changers
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Or refused entirely
Copper is practical, but politically fragile.
In regions without stable copper minting, small transactions are handled through:
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Cut silver (half or quarter pennies; and occasionally eighth pennies)
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Informal credit
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Or barter
The value of a ‘copper’ cannot be guaranteed beyond the city-state or country it was minted in. But, on average it is worth approximately an eighth of a silver penny.
4. Barter and Non-Coin Exchange
Coin does not dominate everywhere.
In rural and frontier regions:
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Grain, livestock, cloth, tools, and labour are common units of exchange.
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Taxes may be paid in produce or service.
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Long-standing relationships often matter more than coin.
Barter is not primitive. It is practical where coin is scarce or trust in minting authority is weak.
Some cultures rely on barter more heavily than others, particularly:
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Isolated settlements
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Marginal communities
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Groups outside formal state control
Urban centers, trade corridors, and stable states rely far more heavily on silver.
5. Inequality and Scale of Wealth
The silver standard naturally reflects social hierarchy.
Approximate economic scale:
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Labourer — 1 SP per day
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Skilled worker — 2–3 SP per day
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Successful merchant — 5+ SP per day equivalent
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Minor noble — Income measured in rents and land, often hundreds or thousands of SP per year
Wealth in Aletheia is often land-based rather than coin-based. Nobles and temples may command vast economic power without holding large quantities of physical silver.
Most coin circulates among commoners, merchants, and guilds.
6. Trust, Authority, and Debasement
Money is not just metal. It is authority.
When a mint:
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Reduces silver purity
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Clips weight standards
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Floods markets with copper
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Or issues unstable coin
confidence falters.
Merchants respond quickly to debasement. Money-changers gain influence in border regions. Guilds lobby for standardization.
A stable coin suggests a stable state.
7. Magic and Money
Magic is expensive.
Minor magical services may cost several days’ wages. Significant enchantments are measured in dozens or hundreds of silver pennies. Major rituals are often priced in gold.
Magic is therefore:
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Economically disruptive
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Class-limited
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Closely tied to guild and temple oversight
It is not a casual purchase for most people.
8. Regional Variation
No single currency dominates the entire world.
However, across most stable states:
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Silver is the baseline.
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Gold is institutional.
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Copper is local.
Exchange rates between states are generally stable but may fluctuate due to:
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Trade disruptions
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War
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Metal shortages
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Political instability
Money-changers operate in major trade hubs and border cities to facilitate exchange.
9. Practical Summary
For ease of reference:
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1 SP = 1 day’s labour
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20 SP = 1 Gold Crown
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Copper is local and unreliable outside issuing regions
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Barter remains common in rural areas
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Magic costs scale far above daily wages
This system is not designed for mathematical elegance. It is designed to reflect labour, hierarchy, and trust.
Silver measures work.
Gold measures power.
Copper measures convenience.
And all of it depends on confidence in the institutions that mint it.