Buezh

The Buezh /buʒ/ is the official currency of Nuerruoddel. It consists primarily of coins and parts of coins made of a unique alloy of gold and fonujajo that even the dwarfs (much to their dismay) have not yet been able to replicate. As such it is considered valid currency in most regions of the world and remains very stable.

Physical Description

A buezh is a small, metal disk, about an inch in diameter and 1/32 of an inch thick. The metal is gold colored, and is in fact comprised of a gold-fonujajo alloy. The face of the coin has a portrait of one of several leaders of Nuerruoddel. Currently Meuzhzel the Wise is being used. On the obverse side is the coat of arms of Nuerruoddel. These etchings are contained within a circle with a 0.7" diameter etched around the circumference. This gives the ring and the inner circle both areas of about ½ the original. The ring additionally has marks for four sections.
If the ring is broken off a buezh, it becomes a half-buezh or zhozo-buezh /ʒaˈza buʒ/, as does the inner disk. If the ring is broken along the section marks, each piece becomes a ⅛-buezh or deumbeush /dyuˈmbyuʃ/. The center disk can also be split into four deumbeush pieces.
Also available are lelcheush /ˈlɛlʧyuʃ/ coins, often called pips, with a diameter of ¼" and a tiny, simplified version of the face and obverse. These are worth 1/16 of a buezh.
Both the buezh and the lelcheush are made of the gold-fonujajo alloy. The alloy is mixed at a 85:15 ratio. The two metals bond in such a way that the gold provides the color and general texture, but the fire steel provides rigidity, strength, and toughness. A beuzh is half the thickness (or less) of other coins and yet has a much longer lifetime. After the mechanical minting, a small amount of protection magic is put in the fonujajo, further protecting the coin from damage. This also helps prevent the shaving of gold off the coin, something that is known to happen to other coins.

History

The buezh was initially created at the start of the Nuerruoddel nation as a means of common currency. At that time it was made of a simple gold alloy, as most coins still are. There were also smaller denominations in the form of smaller coins. It did not have the semi-modular form it does now.
About 150 years ago, the Minister of Finance, Zhuedmurel the Younger, conceived the new currency. An unnamed alchemist devised a new alloy and a mage developed the technique of imbuing the coin with magic. Zhuedmurel design the coin himself and had an engraver make the first stamps. The coins were then mass-produced.
Once the new design was issued, the Ministry of Finance collected old buezh coins for several years, recycling them into new coins. The smaller denominations were largely ignored, as they did not contain the gold that the new buezh required.
The same design has continued to be used since then, although the portrait on the face is changed on occasion.

Economical Influence

The original buezh was unimportant in the economies of most lands beyond the borders of Nuerruoddel. However, once Zhuedmurel the Younger started production of the modern buezh, it's durability, light weight, and consistency began to make it the go to currency for international trade. While most nations still mint their own coins, most locations within the Two Continents will accept the buezh in addition to their native currency.

Cultural Influence

Before the modern buezh, Nuerruoddel was largely considered a backwater nation of sand and desert. After it's introduction, the nation gradually became an influential nation. It was because, in part, of the influx of traders that had begun to rely on the stability of the buezh that the city of Nezhgub and particularly Meuzhzel Stadium were constructed by Meuzhzel the Wise. That location has become a central meeting place; a place where deals are made, contracts are signed, and alliances are formed. In turn Nuerruoddel and the buezh have become even more influential within the Two Continents.
The buezh has thus helped to transform a struggling nation into a leader in world affairs.

Manufacturing process

The creation of the alloy is a closely guarded secret. However, after the blending of the alloy, the process generally follows the normal coin minting process:

1. The metal is rolled into thin (1/32") sheets.
2. Blanks are stamped out.
3. The coins are struck in dies.
4. A small amount of protection magic is imbued upon the coins.

Item type

Currency & Deeds

Manufacturer

Nuerruoddel

Weight

7g (3.5g zhozo-buezh, 0.9g deumbeush, 0.4g lelcheush)

Dimensions

1" diameter, 1/32" thick (0.7" diameter zhozo-buezh disk; 1" outer, 0.7" inner diameter zhozo-buezh ring, 1/4" diameter lelcheush)

Raw materials & Components

85% gold, 15% fonujajo, small amount of magical strengthening.

Related Materials

• Fonaj