Currency

Scientists would claim that the world revolves due to the gravitational force, economists would issue the counter argument that without cash nothing is going to spin my good fellow. And in some ways they are right, things to do not happen without some form of legal tender. Without money to grease wheels, pay bills, reward hard effort things screech to a standstill. Gravity may keep on working in this situation but no one else will.

UNPALAZ, the governing body of the colony, has mandated that the legal tender of the colony and Ascension Station is to be the UN Dollar. A legal tender with a storied history and used across settled space back in the Sol system. Few if any opposed the idea. Though at county and municipal level certain other currencies emerged and were used in place of the UN Dollar.

This proliferation of alternate currencies was down to the simple fact that in the early years of settlement there was not enough actual legal UN dollars to meet demand. So instead currencies like the New Yen, Euro, Rouble and Franc proliferated, some of these being issued locally in various communities. The rouble had been, and still is to a degree, the currency of choice for the settlers of what would become Krasnygorod.

But by now there is enough UN dollars to go around that in the majority of major settlements (Utopia, Monolith City, Nova Luxor & Grand Canal) it is now the only currency that is accepted. And in these cities this has meant that their is a growing business to be found in currency exchanges. In fact in the last ten years this business has become a major growth sector.

While the UN dollar is preferred the other currencies are also allowed to operate within their specific areas. In the above mentioned settlements they have to be changed for UN dollars. Thus Dyson's Landing, said to be the First Settlement, actually runs on New Yen & Euros. Krasnygorod still has its rouble and other outlying settlements use the Franc. But they all recognise the legitimacy of the UN dollar, and most people save some for when they go to the big cities.

Currently UN dollars come in the following denominations:

$1 coin - UN crest on one side & solar disc on the other side (silver)

$2 coin - UN crest on one side & a dove clutching a flower on the other side (gold)

$5 bill - UN crest on one side & Palace of Nations, Geneva on the reverse (purple)

$10 bill - UN crest on one side & UN University on the reverse (blue)

$20 bill - UN crest on one side & UN Office of Outer Space Affairs. Vienna on the reverse (red)

$50 bill - UN crest on one side & Peace Palace, the Hague on the reverse (green)

$100 bill - UN crest on one side & UN Headquarters, New York on the reverse (orange)

There has been some talk of issuing a thousand dollar bill for a while, though it is highly unlikely despite the desires of Dysonists to have their 'Founder' on the reverse side from the UN crest of the potential $1000 bill.