All provinces of
Santharia use the same monetary system
introduced during the time of Santhros the Wise
when the ancient kingdoms were united to the
United Kingdom of Santharia.
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Concept. What is
special about
Santharian currency is the concept which
also reflects in the design of the coins: On the one hand the currency holds
the eight provinces of the realm together by providing an economical symbol the
people from all ancient kingdoms can identfy with. The general
Santharian currency doesn't only make
trading a lot easier, it's also an important instument of better understanding
of other races, habits and beliefs and therefore represents one of the most
important factors for the unity of the kingdom as a whole. On the other hand
the local celebrities of the provinces are honored at the local versions of the
coins. While on the obverse of the coin general
Santharian symbols are depicted
throughout all provinces (e.g. the four interlocking hands as shown on the main
Santharian coat of arms at the hak coin),
the front shows famous people of the corresponding province.
What is most interesting in this concept is the fact that the coins of the
provinces featuring the province's design mixed with other provinces' coins in
the course every time when trading transactions were done. This way northern
provinces also use e.g. Stratanian
coins and thus learn a lot about southern culture and the other way round.
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Additional note: No magic is used in the
formation of coinage. You see, there isn't a single wizard who hasn't thought
of minting his own coins, but the protection against this is a simple
enchantment any wizard can usually make much better money doing.
Any attempt to use magic to force metal into a
shape leaves distinctive traces. The metal takes a shorter time to cool or heat
than non-affected, it tends to spark before storms, and in general the metal
looks too perfectly shiny. A simple enchantment (takes an hour, a piece of
wood, and a sample of the coin/s to be screened, plus payment) will make a
piece of wood into a detector of magically
forged coins; if waved over a pile of coins, any sorcerously faked ones leap
onto the wood.
Wizards who find themselves in need of money usually can get plenty of it by
selling appropriately enchanted pieces of wood to merchants, and by mandate of
the Wizard's Guild of Ximax (deal with
economic representation of wizardry) all enchantments of this type only last a
year. Standard price for the enchantment is three Silverbards.

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San |
Smallest coin |
Round copper coin with milled
edge, bearing the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side, and
[...] on the obverse. Very common coin. |
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Su |
3 san |
Copper triangle with rounded
corners, bearing the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side,
and [...] on the obverse. Less well-known coin. |
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Erg |
4 san |
Brass square with rounded
corners, bearing the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side,
and [...] on the obverse. Worth 4 san. Less well-known coin. |
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Od |
10 san |
An elongated slug of brass,
not commonly used in exchange but as a standard for
weight measurement. Scored along all
faces so that shaving can be easily detected. No portrait or other markings,
common to all provinces. Equals 10 san. |
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Hak |
50 san, 5 od, 1 copperbard |
Iron pentagon with rounded
corners, bearing
the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side, and four
interlocking hands on the
obverse. The
interlocking hands represent the races of the kingdom and can be also found
at the Santharian coat of arms. |
[No image
available yet] |
Copperbard |
50 san, 5 od |
Round coin, bearing the portrait
of famous bards throughout the country and [...] on the obverse.
The Copperbard has the equivalent value as the less common Hak. |
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W'aer |
100 san, 10 od, equals 1
silverbard |
Silver hexagon with rounded
corners, bearing the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side,
and [...] on the obverse.
The W'aer has the equivalent value as the more common Silverbard. |
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Silverbard |
100 san, 10 od, equals 1 w'aer |
Round coin, bearing the portrait
of famous bards throughout the country and [...] on the obverse.
The Silverbard has the equivalent value as the less common W'aer. |
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Nune |
1000 san, 100 od, 10 silver
w'aer, 1 goldbard |
Gold octagon with rounded
corners, bearing the portrait of a local province's celebrity on one side,
and [...] on the obverse. |
[No image
available yet] |
Goldbard |
1 nune or 10 silverbards |
Round coin, bearing the portrait
of famous bards throughout the country and [...] on the obverse.
The Goldbard has the equivalent value as the less common nune. |
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Mithrene |
100 gold nune |
Very rare tensided mithril
coin, only used in royal transactions and intercontinental gifts. Portrait
of an adamant dragon, representation of Avá
dreaming on the obverse.
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History. Since the founding of the
United Kingdom of Santharia at the time
of Santhros the Wise, the
Santharians -
humans, elves,
dwarves and
halflings alike - use the same currency system for trading within the
confines of the kingdom.
Santharian currency was initially introduced by
Santhros in the 7th year of his reign (7 a.S.) as a sign of unity between the
regions and the races, first only in the northernmost provinces (Nermeran,
Vardýnn, Enthronia), which already had
been part of the Tharian kingdom, later on in all parts of
Santharia. After first concerns the new currency was accepted throughout the country.
Since the introduction of the Santhros-coins
there were only a few changes in the design of the coins. Most of the coin
designs are still in use, more than 16 centuries after the introduction of the
general
Santharian currency.

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n.a. |
San |
Troi Ciosa |
Glandorian explorer and
founder of the city Ciosa off of the South-Eastern coast of
Santharia. Founded the city in 11348
B.S.
Description: Male full faced,
bald, with a spyglass up to his eye. |
n.a. |
Su |
Thorgeir Ciosa |
Troi Ciosa's heir, named his
people "Avennorians" (Bavera's
children)
Description: Male full faced
with goatee with a harpoon in his hands about to harpoon a whale. |
n.a. |
Erg |
Erg Barek Swanhild |
Aeruillin slave who became
king in 1653 b.S. and a wealthy shipbuilder.
Description:
Male full faced clean shaven standing behind a
wheel of a ship. |
n.a. |
Od |
None |
No portrait or other markings,
common to all provinces. |
n.a. |
Hak |
Okar Snivild |
Explorer and discoverer of the Island of
Doranthakar.
Description: Male
half faced, full bearded looking at a pearl. |
n.a. |
W'aer |
Anir
Snivild |
Last king of the
Avennorians, beheaded by the
Erpheronian king Korpicor
for treason in 749 b.S.
Description:
Male half faced clean shaven with a flying
banner above his head that reads "Snivild Shipbuilders". |
n.a. |
Nune |
Rekj Swanhild |
Son of Barek Swanhild, started
the 700 year old war in 1642 b.S. against the city of Shan'thai on the
Aeruillin continent to stop the slavery there.
Description:
A male full faced, bearded and crowned.
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n.a. |
San |
Xeantoes |
A Silvershire halfling
Eyashene |
n.a. |
Su |
Mahiara Brunsdottor |
A peasant heroine |
n.a. |
Erg |
Amalgin Starreader |
A
dwarven navigator |
n.a. |
Od |
None |
No portrait or other markings,
common to all provinces. |
n.a. |
Hak |
[...] |
[...] |
n.a. |
W'aer |
Katya Dragonseeker |
Human heroine during the beginning of the Age of Awakening and later on
Erpheronian Queen
Katya the Just. |
n.a. |
Nune |
Asa'llá Avaránn |
A mythical elven queen of the
Astyrhim elves
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Information provided by
Bard Judith
and the rest of the team |