Currencies: Representative Money

There are several currency types throughout the world that, unlike metals and gems, are essentially worthless outside their local economy. The most common of these are made from shell, clay, leather, or paper.   Shell-based currency is common throughout the northwest, the south, the northeast, and the ocean endless, mostly among freelander tribes. Shells are ground into a powder, which is then shaped into different sizes of bead representing different values. Polished full and half shells are used to represent larger amounts. Most cultures using shell currency don't need that much of it as it is merely a supplement for barter exchanges. Shellbeads are seldom hoarded as other forms of money are. Rather, surplus beads are usually made into jewellery or adornments for armor and musical instruments.   Clay currency is only used on Tricorn Island and in the kingdoms of Ajaria and Jaraia. Fingertip-sized beads, palm-sized balls, and card deck-sized bricks are given to citizens in exchange for their harvest or taxes. The hoarding of non-clay currency is outlawed in Ajaria and Allemditta, with the exception of sanctioned merchants, temple administrators, and nobility. For large amounts, a clay counting tablet is marked to indicate quantities between 10 and 65,536 cbk (value approx 1sp-328gp).   The Vaquerians make extensive use of leather bills for their currency. These are issued by a number of banks, each with its own mark that is branded onto the bill. The bills are relatively light and are water-resistant and even hard to start on fire. However, they can fray over time and will need to be traded in for new ones before they fall apart. Most banks in Vaqueria are willing to accept notes from other banks but may require time to ensure that the returned note will be accepted by its manufacturer. Although not a part of regular transactions, bankers of the hub region and Dragon Empire also issue promissory notes on both leather and paper (inked).   In the northeast, the Dragon Empire, the Carp Empire, and some cities of the Ratlands make use of paper currency, as does Vaqueria for large amounts. Paper is made from a combination of rags, hemp, and bark, and inked by woodblock. The Vaquerian 1000bk note is also wizard-marked, as are many of the promissory notes of other lands.

Currency	type	abb.	val (DGS)	val (gp)	weight (gp)	weight (oz)
clay bead	shaped clay	cbd	0.0005	1/2000	0.01	0.004
clay ball	shaped clay	cbl	0.0025	1/400	0.05	0.02
clay brick	shaped clay	cbk	0.005	1/200	0.1	0.04
round bead	sculpted shell		0.005	1/200	0.006	0.0024
ring bead	sculpted shell		0.02	1/50	0.024	0.096
long bead	sculpted shell		0.05	1/20	0.06	0.024
cowry shell	polished shell		0.5	1/2	0.25	0.1
leather buck	branded leather	bk	0.5	1/2	0.3	0.12
paper ch'ao	paper	ch	0.5	1/2	0.05	0.02
10 buck note	branded leather	10bk	5	5	0.3	0.12
10 ch'ao note	paper	10ch	5	5	0.05	0.02
20 buck note	branded leather	20bk	10	10	0.3	0.12
whelk conch	polished shell		12.5	12 1/2	6.25	2.5
clam shell (half)	polished shell		30	30	15	6
100 buck note	branded leather	100bk	50	50	0.3	0.12
100 ch'ao note	paper	100ch	50	50	0.05	0.02
clay tablet	shaped clay	tab	0.08 - 327.68	1/20 - 327 17/25	0.75	0.3
1000 buck note	paper (wizardmarked)	1Kbk	500	500	0.1	0.04