Blood Mint

While Ichor is the primary unit of measure in a Hellecian's social standing. It's also the exclusive currency Hellecians use between the various members of the Patrokonoi-Hellecia.

However, access to markets run by species they considered barbarian was forbidden under penalty of Dyasma (banishment from Hellecian society and seizure of every drop of the offender's Ichor).

Therefore, Blood Mints were established to convert and coin one's Ichor into Ichma (lumps of solidified Ichor enriched with various metals at varying qualities) in order to trade with friendly tribes and exchange them for goods inside Hellecian markets only.

While the biggest fear of the Hellecians is infusing barbarians with their liquid essence of their hegemony. Either making them equals or adding another to the savage ranks of the Lyxfenoid Brood. 

An Ichma is tamper-proof and impossible to extract the Ichor trapped inside (what little there might be in a single coin).

By adding a cocktail of metallic impurities to the minting process, the Ichor (or the liquified essence of perfection) is corrupted and turned into a lethal metal. Anyone attempting to infuse Ichma would be shooting poison into their veins.

Only by extracting the precise cocktail of impurities can the "laundered" Ichor be safely re-infused in one's system.

Which is why each cluster has their own standards of impurity they inject into the Ichma minted on their planets.

Even so, illicit transactions are paid in mineral deposits, holy artifacts from the Pantheon but mostly in undiluted Ichor (cooked in baked goods, plants, nondescript jugs, etc). But directly exchanging Ichor between Hellecians poses the risk of spreading pathogens and diseases.

It's the official trade currency of the Patrokonoi-Hellecia. It's the safest exchange of wealth for 100% transparent purchases from consumer markets to macro economic transactions. While a cluster's currency is regulated by the local/patronic chapters of the Blood Mint Guilds and the Office of Genetic Integrity.

History:

Before the Karoj-Menos supernovae, Ichor was the natural blood circulating through the Pantheon's bodies. Just like producing red & white blood cells, the gods produced gallons of Ichor imbued with their attributes.

Compared to the Hellecians who'd eventually produce blood made of 10% Ichor (with 10th generation parents & little intermarrying between the four patrokonoi).

While the Mycestians were chosen to be the gods' stewards, due to their strength and loyalty. The Lypneans were a sub-species of the Mycestians forced to serve their sibling species.

However, the Lypnean metallurgists were some of most talented metal-workers underneath Olympus.

And after witnessing the forge gods Hephaestus' blood spill into a batch of iron ore. One of the court metallurgists showed his discovery to the Lypnean king.

However, the king swore the metallurgist to secrecy and commanded him to abandon this discovery (for fear of the Pantheon's retribution).

The Lypneans sided with Karoj-Menos and were ultimately defeated by the Hellecians. It wasn't until after the Perxis-Sadem invasion that the metallurgist defied his "medimized" king and taught the Hellecians the art of Blood Minting.

This discovery developed a basic economic system that contributed to the re-stabilizing of the sector following centuries of war & anarchy.

The metallurgist was named Archon Mydesus of Sardesia (formerly Posedonia & the Sardezix Hive) and made Auditor General of the Blood Mint Guilds of the Professional Guilds of Aeonite Craftspeople.

Thus Sardesia became one of the most wealthy planets along the clusters of the Pontic Thumb and its network of DST Accelerator Lanes.

Process:

Blood Mints are semi-automated and act as banks/medical clinics, like an ATM only you get your money through a dialysis machine.

After a Hellecian trader's identity is confirmed by customs officials, a blood mint scans their blood to prove one's citizenship in the patrokonoi and verify the citizen doesn't possess Poisoned Femur Madness. Acting as the final buffer in the customs process.

Once cleared, a Hellecian can withdraw their Ichor. Several factors affect how much local Ichma one gets for their Ichor: indemnity brokers, local exchange rates, service fees & "laundering" risks.

On technologically-advanced or heavily-urbanized capital planets like the Attican Core Worlds can withdraw Ichor from a sponsored account (backed by a certified indemnity broker or governmental service account).

However, these accounts have very expensive to maintain and rely heavily on the local Ichor supply. Not to mention the volatile exchange rates and service fees of local ichma minting. Even re-infusing Ichor "laundered" by an unskilled minter poses the risk of poisoning.

Most inter-cluster trading contractors, wealthy dignitaries & star-deck commanders either keep local Ichma on-hand or employ Petagoric Associates (servants or poor civilians hired to store someone else's Ichor in their own bodies; called "Pals"). The latter having a stigma of indentured servitude attached to it.

In this way, local governments keep Ichor coming to their planets through trade and regular commerce while making it difficult to deplete a local government's Ichor supply.