Money economy

Regency » Money economy

Money in Cerilia is an intermediate commodity that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The most commonly used example is silver, but eggs, gold, pelts and grain are other examples. The main functions of money are as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value.

Money solves the problems of exchange which arises in barter in which both parties must desire the goods of the other. As an intermediate, money can store value until goods actually desired are available. This makes money a medium of exchange, making trade possible.

Money has a stable value. While the value of grain fluctuates with the seasons and the productivity with the harvest, money's value does not change. This is especially true in D&D and other games, where prices are generally fixed in the Player's Handbook and prices are only adjusted by DM fiat for reasons of presumed scarcity, rather than because an actual economy is in effect.

Money does not deteriorate over time. Fruit, for example, is a poor store of value, because it does not store well. Gold and Silver, by contrast, are not only durable metals, but even as far as metals go, are less liable to tarnish and so seem even more timeless and eternal.

Money is a common, but not universal way to purchase goods and pay debts in towns. Town markets are still vibrant places of barter, although money is considered the standard medium of exchange because of its stable value. Outside of towns, money remains a standard unit of account, even though its use becomes rare. In the most remote places, such as the Northlands or Vosgaard, money remains a standard unit, though the common money may be animal pelts rather than coins. Because tribes do not have mints and coin money, when coinage is used, it is from elsewhere. In Vosgaard, most coins are Brecht or Khinasi.