Imperial Coinage

Coins are round, solid, and have milled edges. Their precious metal content has been stable for several generations. However, the base metals have changed over the years, reflecting their relative cost and availability. Collectors are especially interested in high-quality coins of "cusp years" when adjustments were made to a coin's alloy.

Small denominations are made of iron and bronze alloys.

The more valuable denominations, and their face/reverse sides, are:

1 dori = 1 small silver ≈ Basic meal for two. Design: Current Emperor / Grand Origin Temple

10 dori = 1 large silver ≈ Banquet for four. Design: Darius II / Double Eagle

50 dori = 1 small gold ≈ two good suits of clothes or five nights at a nice hotel. Design:Various deceased emperors / Palace of Vaitiare

500 dori = 1 large gold ≈ noble-quality suit or a basic carriage. Design: Wynefreede the Evangel / Aurochs

Minting Money

The only authorized mint is in Avimore, the Imperial capital. There are stiff penalties for minting coins or money-like objects that are explicitly intended to be exchanged for goods or services.

Banks and large commercial interests are permitted to issue paper script. Script is typically used in captive economic environments such as mining towns and military camps. Paper money is generally undesirable and can be hard to spend outside of the market where it was issued.

A script issuer cannot issue more notes than it has coinage in its vaults, minus a reserve percentage.

Controlling the Money Supply

Persistent rumors say the Imperial family has enough silver and gold to issue far more coins than it does, but chooses not to. The Imperial bank controls the money supply through several mechanisms:

• Create new currency and distribute it through loans, government projects, or aid to the poor.

• Restrict money by not replacing lost/worn-out coins, slowing down loan issuance, close down government projects.

• Modify the reserve requirement for institutions issuing script.

There is little the Empire can do through interest rates, since the market for loans is small compared to the overall economy.