Historically the kingdom of Pelonastra had no interest in minting coinage. Its economy relied on barter and trade, and for the instances where that wasn’t enough, it utilized silver and gold coins from the defunct Vannic Empire. Since the fall of Pelonastra however the Lords Elect have put the bare minimum amount of work into developing a more stable currency to base their economy on.
Silver
The economy of the Mill Lands, fractured as it is, is now based on the weight and value of silver. The core of this economy is the concept of a "Labour", this refers to the amount of silver in pounds that is required to feed and house a small family for a year. As it stands a Labour of silver is approximately 6lbs. Now carrying large chunks of silver around is cumbersome and difficult to make change with, so a single coin was also introduced to help with the day to day transactions. A "Penningar" is a small silver coin weighing approximately 1 gram (this was the standard weight for all Vannic and early Arcish Coins) and they are minted locally in small batches rather than by a dedicated royal mint. Approximately 2,700 Penningar are equal to a Labor of silver.
Gold
While the economy is now based around silver, this doesn't stop gold (usually in the form of ancient coins) from being traded in the cities of the Mill Lands. Currently gold is valued at five times the worth of silver. Approximately 1.2lbs of gold is equivalent to a Labour of silver, or 540 gold coins (assuming they adhere to the older weight standards). Generally the gold is exchanged for silver before purchases are made, but some merchants may take the gold directly.
The Labor and the Levat
The Mill Lands relies on foreign trade to survive, and as such deals regularly with the Arcish Levat. While the rates may differ from year to year, the current exchange rate within Pelonastra is 5 Labors (approximately 13,500 Penningar, or 2,700 gold coins) for every one Levat. Pelonastra, however, deals the most directly with foreign traders and as such has the best rates. As you move further up river the amount of silver needed to equal a Levat increases.
| Coins by Weight |
1 coin = 1 gram (approx) |
28 coins = 1 ounce (approx) |
448 coins = 1 pound (approx) |
| 1 Labor |
= 2,700 Silver Penningar or 6 pounds of silver |
= 540 gold coins or 1.2 pounds of gold |
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| 1 Levat |
= 5 Labors |
= 13,500 Silver Penningar or 30 pounds of silver |
= 2,700 gold coins or 6 pounds of gold |
| gold |
1 gold coin = 5 Silver Penningar |
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