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A collection of Imperial coins

Currency is the medium of monetary exchange, usually in the form of coins of precious metal, used by the peoples of the Known World. Both the Old and New World have various forms of currency. The following is a list of known denominations utilised by the various nations therein.[1a]

Regardless of nationality, all coins currently in circulation have the same approximate weights and are usually made from the same materials. Each coin weighs approximately one ounce, and all coins are made from gold, silver, and either brass or copper (though sometimes bronze). In every land of the Old World, people refer to coins by common names. Gold coins are "gold crowns," and when written are designated with "gc;" silver coins are silver shillings, noted as "s;" brass (or bronze or copper, in any case they are all of equal value) are "pennies," and designated by "p." So four gold crowns is written 4 gc, nine shillings is 9 s, and fifteen brass pennies is 15 p.[1a]

  • 1 gold crown (gc) = 20 silver shillings (s) = 240 brass pennies (p)[4b]
  • 1 silver shilling = 12 brass pennies[4b]

Put into context, most peasants of the Old World earn an annual wage of 9-15 gc (this being prior to regional taxation).[5b]

As stated, superficial differences do exist. The image on the coin's face changes with the nation or city-state minting the coin. Adulations, praises, and sayings all depend on the culture from which they originate. Some of the major currencies used in the Known World are described below.[1a]

Other known currencies of the Known World include square-cut tierces, Estalian cruzados and peso octos, Arabyan rials, Imperial aquilas, rupeys from Ind, Bretonnian guilders, yuans from Grand Cathay, and Kislevite roubles.[9a]

Paper Money in the Known World[]

Armanda de Pantaleon (1768 ā€“ 1831 IC) was a Tilean merchant and devotee of the god of commerce Mercopio who, inspired by stories from the famed Tilean explorer Marco Colombo, introduced paper money to the western nations of the Old World.[10a]

Paper money had been used in Grand Cathay for generations, allowing merchants flexibility in their transactions. Armanda attempted to replicate this but was forced to abandon her efforts when she narrowly escaped the ire of a local princeling, who did not understand the finer points of financial theories.[10a]

Despite Armanda's failure, her essays and correspondence have since attracted much interest from "economicks" scholars within the Cult of Handrich. There has even been talk of introducing the concept to the great commercial city-state of Marienburg, although some priests believe that no longer using coins as the primary currency, Handrich's own holy symbol, would be blasphemy. Nonetheless, the temple's famous lines of credit and notes of mark that circulate within the city's merchant class are often held as a proof of concept for paper currency.[10a]

Armanda is also venerated by Ranaldians for persuading people to hand over their gold in return for bits of paper.[10a]

Currency-related Crime[]

Amongst nations of the Known World that use metal coinage, two crimes relating to currency are prevalent: counterfeiting and "clipping."[4b]

Counterfeiting is especially rife in places such as the Empire where many different coinage designs are common. Counterfeiters must have great skill at engraving to create the stamping dies and the necessary blacksmithing to actually forge the coins. In addition, they must choose wisely about how much precious metal content to use in the fakes: too much and they barely make their illicit profit, too little and the coins are too easily identified as counterfeit.[4b]

"Clipping" is a much simpler crime than counterfeiting and consists of simply shaving bits of precious metal off the edges of coins. It is practiced mainly by those who handle large volumes of currency, such as shop owners and Toll Keepers. They then sell their clippings to jewellers, counterfeiters, or fences, while devaluing the coins given in payment, essentially swindling businesses of some of their profit.[4b]

Bretonnian Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Bretonnia)

A Bretonnian gold ecu

Bretonnian coins are far less ostentatious than many, with a simple yet elegant design. The gold coin is called the "ecu," also of comparable size and weight to the Imperial crown. It features the bust of King Gilles le Breton, the founder of the nation and Bretonnian military traditions, and the finest example of their knighthood. The "denier" features Gilles le Breton's personal coat of arms and the date of his death. Finally, the Bretonnian penny is a mixture of bronze and pewter, featuring the coat of arms or familial symbol of one of the 14 dukedoms that comprise the kingdom.[1a]

In Bretonnia, it is forbidden for all not of the noble class to hoard gold, forcing merchants to work almost exclusively in copper and silver. Any gold received in trade must be declared and handed over to a merchant's noble master, this being done each tithing day, and at an exchange rate that is considered criminal in nearly all other countries.[6a]

  • Ecu - Gold Coin
  • Denier - Silver
  • Penny - Bronze, pewter

Imperial Currency[]

The Empire mints the majority of the currency in circulation in the Old World and its coins are by far the most common on the continent. All Imperial cities mint their own coins, but each meets the "Nuln Standard," specifications established in the city-state of Nuln.[1b][4b] Variations in the minted coins are quite common. One year, Altdorf marked the backs of its lesser coins with a deathly figure; the next year its coins displayed a rampant Griffon. One thing uniting all the coins minted in the Empire is the profile of the current Elector Count of the Grand Province where they are minted that adorns the front.

A profusion of differently minted coins in circulation combined with regional dialects and an Old Worlder's tendency to willful obscurity makes the situation even worse. Examples include the "gelt," a term used in the northern provinces of the Empire for gold coins; the "mark," which is pretty much used throughout the Empire for any coin made of gold; "shimmies" is a street term of unknown origin for shillings; while "mucks" is also used by rural folk for shillings.

Even pennies aren't exempt from the slang of the Empire's streets, earning evocative names like "shrapnels" from soldiers and "clanks" from guttersnipes. Marienburg, no longer officially part of the Empire since the secession of the Wasteland, has "guilders," gold coins stamped with the profile of a prominent guildmaster. Naturally these coins change appearance often.[1b]

Interestingly, each major coin corresponds to a class in the Empire: peasants deal almost exclusively in pennies and seldom handle a crown; shillings are the currency of choice for the burghers, although they also use pennies; and the aristocracy don't even bother thinking about pennies, dealing instead in gold crowns.[4b]

  • Crowns - The crown is the primary gold coin of the Empire, also known as marks, karls, guilders, jinks, or gelt.[1b][4b][5a]
    • Gelt - Term used in the northern provinces of the Empire for all large denomination coins, usually minted from gold.[5a]
    • Guilder - A gold coin minted with a guild mark -- common in Marienburg.[5a]
    • Jink - City-dwellers' term for crowns of a dubious origin.[5a]
    • Karls - Reiklander slang based upon the image of the current Emperor Karl Franz stamped on all Altdorf coins.[5a]
    • Mark - Generic Imperial crown, probably based on the common "hammer mark."[5a]
    • Shiner - Altdorf street slang for a crown.[5a]
  • Shillings - The primary silver coin of the Empire. Shillings are also known as bob, shimmies, silvers, or mucks.[1b][4b][5a]
    • Bob - Informal term for shillings used amongst the Imperial gentry.[5a]
    • Muck - Rural name for shillings, which often causes much confusion.[5a]
    • Shimmy - Thieves cant of unknown origin, since passed into common speech.[5a]
    • Silver - Common term amongst traders and sailors for shillings.[5a]
  • Pennies - Pennies, known in the singular as pence, are the primary brass coinage of the Empire and the lowest denomination of currency in circulation. They are also known as pfennigs, clanks, or shrapnels.[1b][4b]
    • Brass - Typically literal Dwarf term for small coinage.[5a]
    • Clank - Common phrase amongst guttersnipes.[5a]
    • Shrapnel - Imperial army slang for a handful of brass pennies.[5a]
  • Noble - An Imperial coin minted from an unknown metal or alloy, worth 80 pennies.[4a]

Altdorf[]

Altdorf coin

A shilling minted in Altdorf.

Commemorating the victory over the von Carstein Vampires through the two sieges of the city during the Vampire Wars, Altdorf occasionally uses a deathly figure as a symbol. By it, they celebrate their defiance against Undead and Dark Magic. Some coins, usually the pence, feature a rampant Griffon to show deference to the emperor. The profile of the emperor dominates their coins more than any other Imperial city-state Grand Province as Altdorf is the current Imperial capital so most people here call crowns "karls." These coins "shiners" in Altdorf street slang.[1b]

Hochland[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Hochland)

A pence minted in Hochland.

As a province of great hunters, Hochland uses images of the bow and horn on their coinage. In recent times, because of the proliferation of the Hochland Long Rifle, newer coins feature this weapon crossed over a bow. Lesser coins display a stag, bear, or stoat.[1b]

Middenheim[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Middenheim)

A crown minted in Middenheim.

Proud of their associations with Ulric, the god of war, winter and wolves, the city-state of Middenheim stamps their coins with a running wolf. Some coins, notably shillings, also bear the image of a four-gated citadel or a key to commemorate the gate wardens, whose regiments fought in the city's defence.[1b]

Mootland[]

Moot Silver Coin

A silver shilling of the Mootland

The Halflings of the Mootland use their symbol, a gigantic rooster, on their silver coins. As this is the only coin the Moot mints, they use gold karls and brass clanks from elsewhere in the Empire.[1b]

Nuln[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Nuln)

A shilling minted in Nuln.

As a centre for learning and industry in the Empire, the city-state of Nuln marks their coins with images of the great bridge of the city or batteries of the various cannon they've developed. The Gold Crown features the crest of Nuln's Imperial Gunnery School on the back and the profile of the current emperor on the face.[1b]

Ostland[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Ostland)

A crown minted in Ostland.

The bull of Ostland is a symbol of stubborness and solidity, a characteristic shared and perhaps inherited from its Kislevite neighbours. The Dragon Bow of the Count, heirloom of the rulers of Ostland, is also used on these coins.[1b]

Stirland[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Stirland)

A shilling minted in Stirland.

The barbarian tribes controlling what became Stirland at the time of Sigmar were not ruled over by a chieftain, but a fierce warrior-queen.[1b] Though she died at the Battle of Blackfire Pass, and her son took on the mantle of Elector Count when the Empire was forged, this ferocious leader is still honoured in ancient songs of the province. Though her name is now forgotten, her likeness is immortalized on Stirland's silver coins.[1c]

Talabheim[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Talabheim)

A crown minted in Talabheim.

The sacred River Talabec is important to Talabheim life, being the source of trade, religion, and life. Hence, many coins, notably the Silver Shilling, feature images of a river. Talabheim's penny also has religious connotations, marking its significance back to gods antedating Sigmar.[1c]

All pennies minted in the city-state bear the image of antlers or of a twisted tree whose branches are shaped like antlers. The city's location in the crater of a comet firms the connection between the people of Talabheim and the sacred symbol of Sigmar, the twin-tailed comet. To celebrate their vaunted status, they mark their crowns with the image of that comet.[1c]

Wissenland[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Wissenland)

The Wissenlander shilling

Having absorbed the former Grand Province of Solland, the people of the southern Empire in Wissenland continue to uphold the tradition of using the sun in their coins and flags. The reason for this longstanding reverence comes from the fall of Solland itself, for it is one of the darkest stories in Imperial history. Most say that region is a place that the "Light Doth Shine No More."[1c]

Estalian Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Estalia)

The Estalian gold excelente

Estalian currency is similar to Imperial coins, being of the same weights and metallic compositions. The face of the "excelente," their gold piece, features a castle on a hillside, and the back of the coin bears the crest of the ruling family of the Estalian city-state where the coin was minted.

Like much of the Old World, the silver "real" is the standard unit of currency, featuring a fish on the front and the date of its minting on the back. Finally, the "duro," the smallest denomination, is made of bronze or copper. These small coins feature a merchant's scale on the face and the banner of the Estalian kingdoms on the back.[1c]

  • Excelente - The gold coin of Estalia.
  • Real - The silver coin of Estalia.
  • Duro - The copper or sometimes bronze coin of Estalia.

Kislevite Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Kislev)

The Kislevite copper pulo

The Kislevite gold "ducat" changes with each tzar or tzarina, bearing a new profile whenever another monarch takes the Kislevite throne. The location of this profile is the only constant, always present on the back of the coin. These coins are of exceptional quality; legend has it that the coin dies originated from the Dwarf Holds of the Worlds Edge Mountains.[1c]

The "denga," Kislev's silver coin, is more common than the gold, and it bears the image of Tzarina Katarin.

The "pulo," a copper coin, displays a bear's head on the face and an eagle on the back.[1c]

  • Ducat - The Kislevite gold coin.
  • Denga - The Kislevite silver coin.
  • Pulo - The Kislevite copper coin.

Norscan Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Norsca)

A Norscan silver sceatta

Far north of the Empire and Kislev lies the frigid land of Norsca, a place over which Chaos has a firm grasp. Much of this bleak and frozen landscape is inhospitable and too distant and dangerous for many merchants. The Norscans rarely mint their own coins, content to steal the coins of other lands during their raids on the south. What coins they do mint are the "sceattas," a small silver coin bearing the crude image of a Norscan king encircled by a ring of runes, and the "pfennig," a bronze coin whose face is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant bears a Norscan rune; starting with strength in the top left quadrant, clockwise the other quadrants are courage, death, and conquest. The Norscan people do not mint gold coins; they melt it down to make jewelry instead.[1c]

The Norscans do not exchange coins with other nations, seeing coins from other lands as equal in value regardless of their metallic composition.[1c] It is only in recent years, thanks to vigorous trade with Marienburg, that the Norscans have begun to mint small silver coins called sceattas (sc). The coins feature the crude likeness of the tribal king from which it originates. These coins are widely considered to have less value than other currencies in the rest of the Old World. Hence, the Norscans still resolve most of their commercial dealings through barter, trading in lumber, slaves, livestock, and ivory.[3a]

  • Sceattas - The silver coin of Norsca.
  • Pfennig - The bronze coin of Norsca.

Tilean Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Tilean City-States)

A Tilean gold crown

No two city-states in Tilea have the same coins. A variety of images and symbols mark them, depending on the region and government responsible for their minting; generally the local currency is the Tilean "ducat" or sometime the Tilean "doubloon," although Tileans also abide by the crown, shilling, and penny nomenclature used by the Empire.[1c][9a]

Tilean ducat

A Tilean 100 ducat piece

The common Tilean gold crown features the profile of various famous merchant princes on the front and a merchant's scale on the back, similar to what's used on the Estalian duro. Shillings may feature sailing ships or the bolt thrower, a famous Tilean invention.[1c][9a]

Tilean pennies also vary wildly. Some depict important fortresses, shrines, government buildings, or even marketplaces. Because each Tilean city-state mints its own currency, the quality and metallic content varies widely. As a result, Tilean coinage is generally worthless in other lands. Dwarfs flat out refuse to accept Tilean currency in their own lands, so merchants from these lands use Imperial coin instead.[1c][9a]

Dwarf Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Dwarf Coins)

A Dwarf silver coin of the Karaz Ankor

The Dwarfs of the Karaz Ankor use the same denominations of coins as the Empire, but each coin is of a quality of craftsmanship and purity of metallic composition superior to those minted and used by Men. The Dwarf gold coin features an intricate rendering of the Book of Grudges, to remind other races of the Dwarf people's long memory.[1c]

Other Dwarf coins, silver and bronze alike, have the symbol of the clans of the various Dwarf holds that minted them stamped on the face, with the date of their minting on the backs. Some Dwarfen coins also bear images of mountains.[1c]

Dwarfs, ever a literal people with little understanding of subtleties, refer to their coins simply as gold, silver, and brass.[1c]

  • Dwarf Gold Coin
  • Dwarf Silver Coin
  • Dwarf Brass Coin

Elf Currency[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Elf Coins)

An Elven gold sovereign

Like other peoples in the Old World, Elves use coins to facilitate trade with their Human neighbors; although among their own people, they prefer to barter or trade in services rather than partake in the impersonal exchange of metals. As with all things in Elven communities, the medium presents an opportunity for their artisans to show a proud understanding of the world, and to create something of unsurpassed beauty.

However, given the High Elves' general disdain for violence and warfare, they never glorify battle in their art. Thus, one never finds a High Elven gold sovereign decorated with a pair of swords or a scene commemorating an ancient battle. Instead, they feature beautiful objects found in nature.

Wood Elves stamp their coins with leaves, using oak leaves for gold, maple for silver, and leaves from other trees like birch, pecan, or fruit trees to depict bronze or copper coins. High Elves, on the other hand, reflect their monumental architecture in their coinage, depicting castles, spires, and temples, occasionally glorifying Dragons, Pegasi, and other wondrous creatures.[1c][1d]

  • Sovereign (Sometimes called a "gold dragon")[2a] - An Elven coin of gold and the primary means of Elven payment with other cultures.

Esoteric Coinage[]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - Currency (Other Lands)

An example of an unusual coin from lands outside the Old World.

Sometimes, coins from distant lands enter circulation in the Old World. Gold pieces from Araby bearing crossed scimitars, silver pieces showing rearing stallions, and bronze pennies displaying a crescent moon regularly appear in the Tilean city-states, Estalia, and the Border Princes.[1d]

In Kislev, strange steel coins from Grand Cathay sometimes appear in their markets, valued for their uniqueness rather than their composition. Odd creatures stare out from the faces of these rare coins. Some even have a hole through the centre so they can be carried on coin strings as is the custom in distant Cathay.[1d]

In recent years, unadorned nuggets of gold have made their way from faraway Lustria, but these are quickly melted down and minted into regular coins of the various realms. One can always tell a gold coin whose metal originated in Lustria by its reddish hue.[1d]

Gold Koku

A Cathayan gold koku

  • Gold Koku - These coins were unknown before a Free Company from the Border Princes decimated a Hobgoblin tribe in the Dark Lands. In the smoking ruins of the encampment, they found treasures looted from all over the Old World. One particularly old coffer held 100 tarnished coins marked with symbols apparently from far Grand Cathay. When cleaned, the coins were revealed to be of the purest gold. Those coins have been sold to a few dealers in the Empire, and all confirm that the script suggests they come from Cathay, but they are far older than any coin found in the Old World.[1e]
Ind Suvarna

An Indic suvarna

  • Indic Suvarna - Most commoners see the world contained within the borders of the Empire. Granted, many recognize the Bretonnians, Tileans, Estalians, and Kislevites, but who knows what exists beyond? Rumours of distant Grand Cathay, or the horrors of the Southlands, or even the rumoured New World across the ocean are tall tales swapped in dockside inns and taverns, none of which are taken seriously. One such place is fabled Ind, another land purportedly near Cathay in the Far East. Only one man, a Tilean explorer named Nigel Francisco, braved the Silver Road to explore this strange place, stranger even than the legends of Cathay. As proof of his journey, he brought back many treasures, among which were small pieces of ivory depicting animals or people. Calling these coins suvarna, he claimed Ind had no use for gold or metals, and instead traded with ivory and gemstones. It's believed there are 25 suvarnas scattered among various owners in the Empire, but fakes and copies are widespread, reducing the overall value of these rare coins.[1e]
Pre-Empire Coin

A pre-Imperial Human coin

  • Pre-Empire Coins - Before Sigmar drove away the Greenskins, the region of the central Old World that would become the Empire was simply a collection of warring Human tribes. Most trading was through bartering; although, the concept of coinage, imported from Tilean sea traders in the Black Gulf and Tilean Sea, did eventually spread into the northern wilderness. Crude, small, and varying in size and weight, the value of pre-Empire coins stems from their rarity and their worth to historians. Pre-Empire coins followed similar metallic denominations as their preset-day counterparts, being gold, silver, and brass; wooden chits bearing the mark of a chieftain were used as well. These chits, it's believed, marked a debt owed.[1e][1f]
Silver Leaf

An Elven silver leaf

  • Silver Leafs - These small, silver chits are leaf-shaped coins, and are believed to be the currency used by the High Elves prior to the rise of Humanity. Despite their rarity, silver leafs are prevalent enough to be available to most collectors. One thing that makes them so valuable is the intricacy of the detail of their craftsmanship; each vein in the leaf is exposed. Furthermore, each coin is unique, reflecting a variety of leaves from such trees as ash, elm, maple, oak, and birch.[1f] A single silver leaf is equivalent to the value of 250 gc.
Tilean Talent

A Tilean talent

  • Tilean Talents - Many historians point to the Tilean traders in the ancient world as the inventors of currency. As evidence, there are the "talents," small, rectangular pieces of gold. Records from this period suggest they were worth the equivalent of a single cow. Instead of using other metals to mark lesser denominations, the ancient Tileans would break or cut the coins, creating half-talents, quarter-talents, and bits. For an uncommon coin, Tilean talents regularly surface in old vaults, tombs, wrecks on the bottom of the sea, and in ancient ruins. Many explorers and adventurers do not realize the worth of these coins and simply melt them down for their weight in gold.[1f]

Other Currency[]

  • Teef - "Teef" is the term used to describe the form of currency Greenskin tribes of Orcs and Goblins like to use, which is their own teeth.[7a]

Game History[]

The valor of the coinage differs from edition to edition in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. But the change from gold, silver, and copper coins has always stayed the same.

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
    • 1a: pg. 6
    • 1b: pg. 7
    • 1c: pg. 8
    • 1d: pg. 9
    • 1e: pg. 112
    • 1f: pg. 113
  • 2: Blood of Aenarion (Novel)
    • 2a: Ch. 22
  • 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Corruption (RPG)
    • 3a: pg. 144
  • 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
    • 4a: pg. 288
    • 4b: pg. 289
  • 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
    • 5a: pg. 105
    • 5b: pg. 104
  • 6: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Knights of the Grail (RPG)
    • 6a: pp. 27-28
  • 7: Skarsnik (Novel)
    • 7a: Ch. 16: The Great Grizzler-Griff Makiki the Cunning
  • 8 Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition)
    • 8a: pg. 108
  • 9: Fell Cargo (Novel)
  • 10: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of the Empire III (RPG)
    • 10a: pg. 41, "The Cult of Handrich"
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