Re: (TFT) electrum...and aluminium

["Neil Gilmore" <raito@raito.com>]

> They'd weigh less than a third of similar-sized coins made of
> silver.  It's certainly possible, but in a world where the
> value of the coin is supposed to be tied to its content (not
> a network of vauge promises and trust like modern day coins)
> there is a problem, namely that the value of the metal varies
> incredibly.  An industrial society can crank out tons of
> aluminum for next to nothing.  A pre-industrial society can
> only produce the merest scraps at amazing expense.  It's
> kind of a binary thing.  Either the metal is fabulouly
> valuable, or it's so worthless you make soda cans out of.

You're missing a third thing. It may be fabulously rare, but no merchant is
going to accept it (as coinage). If a few metals are coined locally, and
everyone there has agreed on what those metals are worth, then it becomes a
big hassle to accept a new metal as anything other than a curiosity.

That's part of the reason my system has so many metals in it. In different
areas, different metals are coined. It can be difficult to pass off your
fortune if the locals won't accept it. In most larger cities, at least,
though, you can find a moneychanger.

This adds a bit of flavor. Some places are copper, silver gold decimal
systems. Some are brass, bronze, electrum non-decimal systems.

> Neil's proposition, that aluminum is something wizards can
> make (albeit in limited quantities) could overcome these
> objections.  Of course this would mean that in the area where
> this is done the wizards are essentially minting the money,
> and so are probably pretty much running the show.  Interesting
> implications...
>  - light, durable, coins that are hard to counterfeit or
>    adulterate by normal means.
>  - the process needs to be secret.  If every 15 IQ (or whatever)
>    wizard knows how to make the metal, then forget it.  It has
>    to be a limited group.

Look at the relative value I've put on aluminum in my table. It isn't worth
very much, because pure aluminum is pretty soft, and the alloying technology
isn't quite there yet. And the coins are larger than the others. Sure, a
decent wizard can make it, but what do you do with it then? But being soft,
and easy to polish, it makes pretty things...

> Of course, where there are such secrets there is also
> treachery, sack upon sack of illegally-made coins stashed
> in the basement, daggers in the night, and suchlike things
> that adventurers live for.

In my campaign, illegal minting is relative. Sure, you can sell off
something as scrap, and maybe take a hit on the price, but usually I jsut
deal with metal weight, unless it enhances roleplay. But try passing off
those Dran coins in Ardonirane as money...

> Another possible complication would be if someone found a
> mnoren/ancient ruin containing thousands of tons of aluminum.

Or any other metal...

Neil Gilmore
raito@raito.com

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