Currency

From The Wandering Inn Wiki

Currency in Innworld are coin-based, consisting of copper, silver, and gold pieces. The exchange rate is 10 copper for one silver and 20 silver for one gold.[1]

Coin denominations and values[edit | edit source]

Copper Silver Gold
Copper 1 10 200
Silver 1 20
Gold 1

Gold coins are the highest denomination, and are universally recognized as legal tender across the world, even in places that have other internal currencies or barter systems.[2] Gems and pure valuable metal can be used in place of common coins in high-value transactions or when needing to transport a large amount of coin covertly, provided that all individuals dealing in them know their exact value. Usually however, such items must be converted or appraised before use, typically through the Merchants Guild.

Modern coins are alloys, and not worth their weight in pure metal. Part of the reason for this is not just to be able to produce more coins and save money on making them, but also to make them harder to counterfeit. Methods to verify authenticity and sus out fake coins include using a coinpusher on it to see the metal underneath, treating it to an alchemist bath that reacts with gold, or using a magnet to check how much ferrous alloy it has. Coins may also have designs to prevent forgers from making a mold of the coin. Flat, cylindrical coins without safeguards against forgeries are called Shamefaced Coins, and are made by cities that cannot produce many coins. As many as forty percent of all coins are Shamefaced coins.[2] In older times, treasure recovered from ancient dungeons contained gold coins valued at 24-karats.[3] In the modern era, the highest-valued coin produced is the Salazsarian Goldstriker.

Ryoka remarked at one point "Local currencies differ from city to city or by region. It’s still gold, silver, and copper, but some denominations have a unique weight and percentage of actual silver or gold used in each coin. Those who deal with money a lot care about the currency, but they’re all roughly silver, gold, and copper coins.[4] Not every nation produces its own coins. Coins have the crest of the power that backs them, and the flag of the Mint-City that produced it. Known Izrilian coin-backers included Salazsar, Manus, House Terland, House Reinhart, and Ottopren. Known Mint-Cities include Salazsar and Ottopren.[2]

Summing things up, it means that Innworld adheres closely to the famous fantasy trope of the Gold-Silver-Copper Standard which allows quick assessment of value without going deeper into the intricacies of an underlying currency system. Which would probably bore most of the readers. Note that having a stable, universal system working on this trimetal standard means to trust everyone never to cheat this system (as institutions or as individuals), and that the value of all three metals remains perpetually unchanged. So far, no apparent central institution appeared that issues and standardizes the coins, and the banking system of the Merchant's guild was similarly not touched in the story. For real-world systems of a silver-gold bimetal standard, see Bimetallism.
Gold coins in the Wandering Inn site banner by Raoul Solomon
Gold coins in the Wandering Inn site banner by Raoul Solomon

Paper Currency[edit | edit source]

Following the devaluation of gold due to the effects of the [Box of Incontinuity], several nations and powers have started to move off of gold and created new currencies. The ones currently known are the Terland Tithel and the Liscorian Mark.

Liscor's Mark is currently evaluated to be worth the equivalent of one silver and five coppers, and its value is tied to one piece of bread from Garry's bakeries.[5]

Market Values of Known Objects or Services[edit | edit source]

Item/Service description Estimate or Actual Price in gold coins Chapter
Klbkch's overpayment for 2 blue fruit drinks and 2 plates of pasta Actual 0.1 1.06
Money Erin extorted from Pisces after he frightened her Actual 0.335 1.08
Lism overcharging Erin for a bag of flour, oil, butter, four sausages, two onions, and a bag of sugar, salt, and yeast Actual 2.4 1.12
Relc's idea of the price of a hammer Estimate 0.05 to 0.1 1.09
Bounty for killing a Hobgoblin chief given to Erin by Klbkch Actual 12.7 1.17
Non-magical book sold in Krshia's shop Estimate 1.5 1.18
Delivery by runner from Krshia's shop to Erin's first inn Actual 0.2 1.18
Delivery by runner from Krshia's shop to any location within Liscor Estimate 0.05 1.18
Small delivery by runner within Liscor Estimate 0.03 1.18
A tip from Magnolia Reinhart to Ryoka Actual 1 1.19 R
One day's earnings for Ryoka as a city runner in Celum Estimate 1.5 1.20 R
One day's earnings for an average worker, according to Ryoka Estimate 0.15 to 0.175 1.20 R
Merchant or shopkeeper daily profit, according to Ryoka Estimate 1 1.20 R
One night in a "decent" inn Estimate 0.1 1.20 R
Entry to a bathhouse Actual 0.025 1.22
Jar of acid flies Actual 1 1.25
Terandrian gelato delivered to Celum Actual 70 1.26 R
Runes of preservation for the cabinets in The Wandering Inn, Pisces's estimate Estimate 20 to 60 1.29
[Healer] healing Ryoka's badly broken leg Estimate 200 to 4,000 1.33 R
Magical cloth bindings Ryoka's broken leg that provide stability, structure, and stasis Actual 10 1.33 R
Bounty on 4 pairs of Goblin ears Estimate 0.005 1.35 R
[Healer]'s emergency treatment of Ryoka's broken leg Actual 5 1.35 R
Pisces' healing fee for Ryoka's badly broken leg Actual 40 1.35 R
Weak healing potion Actual 1 1.36
Average shield spider body, Selys's estimate Estimate 0.2 1.37
[Message] spell sent with an image Estimate 1 to 20 1.38
Non-priority letter delivered by runners, from Liscor to Baleros Estimate 0.1 1.38
[Message] spell Estimate 0.15 to 0.9 1.38
Bounty and wagonload of Shield Spider corpses harvested by Erin Actual 11 1.41
Fine steel shortsword, bought by Erin for Rags Actual 2.15 1.41
Per day fee for a Bronze-level Adventurer to guard The Wandering Inn Estimate 0.4 1.41
Buckler, bought by Erin for Rags Actual 1.85 1.41
Spell book, according to Ceria Estimate 300 to 4,000 1.54
Magic wand, according to Ceria Estimate 1,000 1.57 H
Acid jar Actual 0.1 1.56
Gear recovered after first disastrous run at Liscor's dungeon, Ryoka's estimate Estimate 2,000 2.06
low-class rechargeable magical protection items Estimate above 800 2.08
Low quality stamina potion Actual 1.4 2.08
Runner's guild rulebook Actual 0.75 2.09
Liscor street vendor fee, for making more than 4 gold profit Actual 0.25 2.13
Hamburger, Erin's initial price Actual 0.05 2.13
Hamburger, after Selys increased the price Actual 0.1 2.13
Octavia's price to research stink potions, smoke potions, and pepper spray Actual 8 2.14
Healing potion, made by Octavia Estimate 1 2.14
Ryoka's delivery run from Teriarch to Az’kerash Actual 800 2.14
Garia's typical pay for a short run without a deadline Estimate 0.01 to 0.95 2.14
Valceif's artifact-level anti-compulsion mind protection charm Estimate Over 1,000 2.17
A map of the region south of Liscor Estimate 1 to 2 2.17
The first milk a cow gives after having a calf Actual 1 2.19
Smoke bomb Actual 0.2 to 0.9 2.25
Standard supplies for 4 adventurers Estimate 15 2.32 H
Minor ring enchanted against cold weather, Ceria's estimate Estimate 1 2.27
Ring of arrow deflection, deflects one arrow Estimate 10 to 20 2.27
Krshia's stash of magical books before being burned Estimate 50,000 2.33
Corusdeer antler Actual 0.2 2.42
One month at Wistram (room, board, instruction) Actual 20 Wistram Days (Pt. 1)
A message spell Celum to Liscor Actual 3 to 8 2.4
Laken's initial [King's Bounty] treasure Actual 141 3.01 E
Cracked rechargeable protection ring against arrows, works 1 minute every 2 days Estimate 575 3.03
Mercenary pay for a day of combat in the Raverian Fighter's Company, Baleros Actual 0.4 1.00 D
Mercenary pay for a day of non-combat, in the Raverian Fighter's Company, Baleros Actual 0.05 1.00 D
A "simple" golem of Wistram, made by Archmage Zelkyr, Ceria's estimate Estimate 10,000 Wistram Days (Pt. 6)
Bark potion Estimate 16 4.07
Erin's magic soup, initial price Actual 2 4.07
a spellbook containing mostly Tier 3 and below, one or two Tier 4 spells Estimate 300 to 4,000 1.54
a 300 year old teaching spellbook of Rihal, containing all of their known spells from Tier 1 to Tier 4 Estimate 51,000 4.09
Fine for striking Lord Ilvriss in Liscor Actual 4 4.1
Ulrien's estimate for a full set of matching enchanted plate armor Estimate 10,000 4.1
Estimated price for high quality wands with low magic bleed Estimate 1,000 4.1
Cheap wands with an expendable spell Estimate 100 4.1
Gold rank quality enchanted sword Estimate 3,000 4.1
Runner's guild's fee on deliveries Actual 5% 4.12
Travel fee for Liscor/Invrisil portal door, set by Magnolia Reinhart Actual 0.3 Interlude - A Night In the Inn
Liscor's tax on Antinium Labor Actual 30% 4.12
3rd floor and watchtower for the Wandering Inn Estimate 328 4.12
Building a high quality home Estimate 200 4.12
A glass window Estimate 8 4.12
Ryoka delivering magic items to Invisril and back Actual 350 4.12
Erin overpaying barmaids, hourly wage Actual 0.08 4.12
A night's losses in a casual game of dice between retired elderly drakes Actual 0.25 4.13 L
Water barrel delivered from Liscor to the Wandering Inn Actual 0.1 4.14 L
A large tip in an inn Actual 1 4.14 L
Gravetender’s Fist pay for new recruits on fighting nights Actual 0.05 1.02 D
Gravetender’s Fist pay for new recruits on non-fighting nights Actual 0.02 1.02 D
Cost of a poorly-made wooden booth in Baleros Actual 0.25 1.02 D
Quallet's donation to Geneva after saving a soldier, low end estimate Estimate 0.2 1.04 D
Quallet's donation to Geneva after saving a soldier, high end estimate Estimate 0.9 1.04 D

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • In the original Volume 1, Ryoka mentioned that Celum's currency was called 'Thestals.' However, Thestals or any other names for currencies have not come up in following chapters and has been retconned with the release of the rewritten Volume 1.
  • Samalian Keycoins are largely ornamental.[2]

References[edit | edit source]