1)
Like most cosmopolitan trading ports in the Realms (e.g. Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate), the Windrise Ports use all coinage from mintings everywhere, plus gems and (electrum, as silver was tarnishing too quickly to retain its…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
2)
…popularity) trade bars for larger amounts.
I mentioned Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate because they (plus Tharsult, Ormpur, and the ports of Calimshan) are the places in Faerûn where someone will most often find coins from… 3)
…Laerakond in circulation.
All of the Windrise Ports mint their own coins from time to time, as necessary rather than “officially,” stamping them with the city’s rune on one side, and the civic motto on the other.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
4)
They are scrupulously “pure” metal (soft gold is an alloy with silver, but the coin is over nine-tenths gold) and uniform size, and so “hold their value” in distant places.
Values are in keeping with the 1400s DR overall norm: … 5)
…a silver is worth ten coppers, an electrum is fifty cp, a gold equals 100 cp, and a platinum is 1,000 cp.
Copper piece: a haeth (slang: “deadeye” or just “eye”)
Silver piece: a talond (“promise”)#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
6)
Electrum piece: a haebur (“eagle”)
Gold piece: a crown (“dragondew” or just “dew”)
Platinum piece: a splendor (“blaze”) 7)
All state-minted coins of Laerakond have grooved edges (an indented line running right around the coin), but no rims. All coins are center-pierced, for stringing on a “purse-cord” (which, these days, is usually a wire with a…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
8)
…strong-spring clasp).
Recent mintings are as follows:
Tarmalune: coins are oval, long axis about twice the “height” of a gold coin of Waterdeep.
Rune: The Haven, a semicircle bumping upwards from three parallel horizontal… 9)
…straight lines, the uppermost crossing the entire coin, the middle line being a little shorter, and the bottom line being shorter still.
Motto: “All sailings enrich home: Tarmalune”#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
10)
Harglast: coins are “kite” diamonds (two short sides “upper” sides, two twice-as-long longer “lower” sides).
Rune: The Trune: an equilateral triangle, bottom horizontal, formed by two triangles touching a diamond. 11)
Motto: “Prosper Harran”
*=A Harran is a citizen of Harglast#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
12)
Imdolphyn: coins are circular, diameter the same as the height of a gold coin of Waterdeep
Rune: a vertical line of four identical circles*
Motto: “None Richer”
*=representing an endless fall of coins 13)
Ramekho: none (uses coins from everywhere else, and barter)#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021
14)
Sambral: coins are circular, diameter the same as the height of a gold coin of Waterdeep
Rune: A drawn sword, cup hilt and thin-bladed like a rapier, running around the coin clockwise (so, blade is a circle, … 15)
…point on the left touching pommel on the right at the “top” of the coin).
Motto: “Suffer No Slight”#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2021