Serio

Serio, or Serion (plural), are coins minted by the Rekettan empire from under duty of Clan Fethor between the 50s Scholar Period, and on until the near collapse, even enduring as collectibles prized by many afterwards. The silver is often broken down and made by different metal alloys, but the gold is often kept close to absolute purity, while any less metal (like copper, bronze, etc) is deemed unworthy in the currency center and market. It was named after Fethor clan member, Fe'Serila, but reasonably altered a bit to be flexible with communicating through Orcs and their currency for trade, Cirik. Shortly after, Fethor would become an official house with the slightly retooled name of Feather, and be tasked with upkeeping this system as a central currency more dignified than simpler coins.   Serion are characteristic for being minted different on one side based on the metal. A tulip flower would go on all coins of one side, with a feather working almost like a small underline. Often the feather even had the detail of its fiber strands imprinted in at a specific count, as a secret counterfeit security measure. This symbol was chosen to mark the symbol of the empire, mixed with underlying aid of the House name. The other side would either be a moon-like disc upon silver coins, to represent the Titanism belief of a prime creator god Yol and his silver-like skin. Likewise, gold went to Gilda, with the dragoness' head imprinted on it. This was symbolic of both the official mythos, but also a brazen way to suggest the empire was holy righteous and elevated to use its own image parallel with gods.   Changes were rarely made in very subtle ways. By the 5th empress era, a better crease was made into the center of the tulip pedals, and later a new fiber line in the feather added, or rays beaming from the Gilda head of gold. Metals of old making it back to the bank would be refined to look like the current image, which ironically went on to make the older metals more valued for their increasing rarity, with some strict about never letting it get mixed in with tax or investment money to preserve it. Similar to reforging it, the reketta empire did this with foreign exchanges, refusing to take the wrong or too impure of metals, and remelting good coin to match the Serion minting process. Some reketta might hold onto their Cerik and find a place that accepted it, but some shops strictly neglected to use the coin unless it was exchanged by a Feather Vaulter to the official Serio currency model. Typically this held more true by the power of bigger merchants and artists, or in proximity to the capital desert regions, whereas places like the Amber Isle still often might accept loose barters of people passing tea, eggs, or rum for equally small goods - never the less okay with accepting gold of any origin.   Abroad, the currency garnered a unique reputation. Humans, orcs, and such that got a hold of the coin, would sometimes spin stories of pirate victories over the empire, stolen goods, or crazy tales of how they cheated them in a trade deal and lived to see the day. In some human markets the coin had a special value above the rest for such exotic mystery of it passing by the alien-like empire, while others just disregarded it as a 'tarnished metal' that couldn't even be thought of as a bartering chip (often due to their own pride in a separate minting system passed by a regional king).