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#Post#: 212--------------------------------------------------
Coinage
By: Nyah691 Date: May 7, 2016, 10:49 am
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[center]Coinage
There is little standardization in currency exchange rates
throughout Gor. These ratios vary from city to city. The
bankers, or literally the coin merchants, try to standarize
coinage at each Sardar Fair but their motion never passes.
Certain coins though are respected and accepted throughout the
civilized cities. These include such coins as the gold tarns of
Ar, Ko-ro-ba and Port Kar, golden staters from Brundisium, and
the silver tarsk of Tharna.
On Gor, the basic unit of currency is the tarsk coin, made of
copper or silver. Each city then decides on the ratio between
such coins. A tarsk bit is the smallest unit of currency. From
four to twenty tarsk bits equals one copper tarsk. From forty to
one hundred copper tarsks equals one silver tarsk. Ten silver
tarsks equal one gold tarn disk. Gold tarn disks are also made
in double weight. Some coins may be split into pieces to make
change. A coin is about 1.5" in diameter and 3/8" thick. There
is a tarn or tarsk on one side and usually a letter to identify
the city of origin on the other side. There is no paper currency
on Gor.
The early novels mentioned the existence of copper and silver
tarn disks but the later books, especially when discussing
exchange rates, omit these coins. If you monitor the appearance
of these tarn disks, they begin to disappear from the books as
they progress. And the initial books neglect to mention tarsk
disks. This seems to be another area where Norman chose to
change matters in the latter books. The latter books should be
taken as more authoritative in this matter as they are the ones
where the issue of coinage is more thoroughly described.
Tribesman of Gor, #10, may be the last book to mention a copper
or silver tarn disk.
To most Goreans, a silver tarsk is a coin of considerable value.
A gold tarn disk is more than many common laborers earn in a
year. A gold tarn may buy a tarn or five slave girls. Five
pieces of gold is a fortune and one can live in many cities for
years on such resources. For the most part, many items on Gor
will sell for copper tarsks. Business is often conducted by
notes and letters of credit. Most cities have their own mints.
Coins are struck, one at a time, by a hammer pounding on the
flat cap of a die. Coins are not made to be easily stacked. In
some cities, such as Tharna, coins are drilled so that they
might be stringed.
A coin is a way in which a government certifies that a given
amount of precious metal is involved in a transaction. It saves
the need of weighing and testing each coin, thus making commerce
much easier. But, some less scrupulous people may shave coins,
slicing slivers of metal off of them. This is akin to theft and
fraud. The coin is worth less than it should be.
From Lady Nyx Inc
The Bankers Notes
......By Lady Nyx
This page is dedicated to the Merchants of Gor. It’s purpose is
three fold. One, to set a standard currency, according to the
scrolls, for everyone to benefit by. Two, to demonstrate a few
examples what things should cost on Gor. And three, to provide a
list of Merchants of on-line Gor whom the customer can contact
for the purchase of goods.
The Currency of Gor
Throughout My research on Gorean Coinage, with help from many
good Goreans on line, this is the summary of the most commonly
used coins. Yes, there were a few more mentioned, but these are
the most common. For those who wish quotes, see below *S*
1 copper tarsk bit (lowest denomination)
10 copper tarsk bits = 1 copper tarsk (can be 4, can be 8, can
be 10, stay with me here)
100 copper tarsks = 1 silver tarsk
10 silver tarsks = 1 gold tarn
2 gold tarns = 1 double weight gold tarn
Many times the copper tarsk bit is split into 4th , 8th, or 10th
. Please bear with me by using a base of 10 here, it makes
calculations easier without a calculator. Since John Norman gave
us a choice of 4, 8 or 10, it’s still within the scrolls for me
to choose 10.
What Things Should Cost on Gor
Merchandise on Gor is much difference in price than merchandise
on Earth. Remember, this is Gor, not Earth, and things are
cheaper on Gor.
My thanks to Lady Asaria for the following quotes:
A golden tarn disk was a small fortune. It would buy one of the
great birds themselves, or as many as five slave girls.
(Tarnsman of Gor - pg 91)
Five pieces of gold, in its way, incidentally, is also a fortune
on Gor. One could live, for example, in many cities, though not
in contemporary Ar, with it's press on housing and shortages of
food, for years on such resources.
(Magicians of Gor - pg 468)
My thanks to ArKhan, Ubar of Ra for finding Me this quote...
The merchant turned to me. He handed me a silver tarsk from the
purse.
"You need give me nothing," I said. "It was not important."
"Take, if you will," said he, "as a token of my gratitude, this
silver tarsk."
I took it. "Thank you," I said. Several of the men about,
striking their shoulders in the Gorean fashion, applauded the
merchant. He had been very generous. A silver tarsk is, to most
Goreans, a coin of considerable value. In most exchanges it is
valued at a hundred copper tarsks, each of which valued,
commonly, at some ten to twenty tarsk bits. Ten silver tarsks,
usually, is regarded as the equivalent of one gold piece, of one
of the high cities. To be sure, there is little standardization
in these matters, for much depends on the actual weights of the
coins and the quantities of precious metals, certified by the
municipal stamps, contained in the coins. Sometimes, too, coins
are split and shaved. Further, the debasing of coinage is not
unknown. Scales, and rumors, it seems, are often used by coin
merchants. One of the central coins on Gor is the golden tarn
disk of Ar, against which many cities standardize their own gold
piece. Other generally respected coins on Gor tend to be the
silver tarsk of Tharna, the golden tarn disk of Ko-ro-ba, the
golden tarn of Port Kar, the latter particularly on the western
Vosk, in the Tamber Gulf region, and a few hundred pasangs to
the north and south of teh Vosk's delta.
(Rogue of Gor P 155)
And Thanks To Me cause I found this one Myself
“Boy!” cried the Forkbeard. The boy looked at him. The Forkbeard
threw him a golden tarn disk. “Buy a bosk and sacrifice it,”
said the Forkbeard. “Let there be much feasting on the farms of
the Inlet of Green Cliffs!”
(Marauders of Gor P 150)
Now all that said, I always wondered, “What IS a gold tarn
worth?” If I were to equate it to My pocket change, would it be
a dollar? More? Then I was given this quote from Lady Asaira....
Behind the desk, on the wall, there was posted a list of prices.
They were quite high. I did not think that those were normal
prices. If they were, I did not see how the inn could manage to
be competitive. I struck the keeper's desk twice more. There was
a tharlarion-oil lamp hanging on three chains from the ceiling,
to my right, above the desk. Sample items from the list were as
follows:
Bread and Paga..................2 C.T.
Other Food......................3-5 C.T.
Lodging.............................10 C.T.
Blankets (2).........................2 C.T.
Bath......................................1 C.T.
Bath girl................................2 C.T.
Sponge, oil and strigil..........1 C.T.
Girl for the night...................5 C.T.
Tarn, Meat and Cot.............5 C.T.
T., Greens and Stable.........2 C.T.
A comment, or two, might be in order on this list of prices.
First, it will be noted that they are not typical. In many inns,
depending on the season, to be sure, and the readiness of the
keeper to negotiate, one can stay for as little as two or three
copper tarsks a day, everything included, within reason, of
course, subject to some restraint with respect to paga, and
such. Also, the bath girl, and the sponge, oil and strigil, in
most establishments, come with the price of the bath itself. The
prices on the list on the wall seemed excessive, perhaps to a
factor of five or more. The prices, of course, were in terms of
copper tarsks.
For purposes of comparison, in many paga taverns, one may have
paga and food, and a girl for the alcove, if one wants, for a
single copper tarsk. Dancers, to be sure, sometimes cost two.
Renegades of Gor p 51-52
My jaw dropped. Ex-CUSE Me? A bowl of paga for 2 copper tarsks?
(never mind the bread, I focused in on the paga, having been
influenced lately by a couple of paga swilling Tuchuks). Boy
have I been overpaying! Now I was even more determined to figure
out Earth equivalencies. Call it a mission, call it madness
(Kurzon calls it Nyx and shakes His head).
Using highly technical mathematical instruments of measure (ie:
FW intutition or the hit and miss method) I decided to see what
would happen if I took the lowest Gorean coin, and equated it to
the lowest Earth coin. Why? Hey I’m a FW, never ask why. What do
we get then?
1 copper tarsk bit = 1 Earth penny
Hmm, both of copper, both the lowest denomination. Seemed
reasonable to me. Now comes the part where I like to use the
“Base 10”, or the choice JN gave us in the books to cut the
copper tarsk into 4th, 8th, or 10th . Everything else worked on
a base 10, let’s try this.
1 copper tarsk = 10 Earth pennies (or one dime)
A bowl of paga, being 2 copper tarsks is.....20 cents????
Now at first I though, nah. Even if Gor IS cheaper, who the heck
on Earth would sell paga for 20 cents a bowl? Hold on, what is
paga? I’ve been told it’s whiskey, then beer. Well, here’s a
quote....
Paga: (abbr. of Paga-Sa-Tarna, lit. ‘Pleasure of the
life-daughter): a grain based, fermented alcoholic beverage,
somewhat like a very strong beer (Kurzon sneaks in and
whispers....”Around 20% alcohol. Average Earth beer is 5%”)
“Paga, a strong, fermented drink brewed from the yellow grains
of Gor's staple crop, sa-Tarna, or Life-Daughter." (Outlaw of
Gor, page 74).
Oh, so paga is not distilled like whiskey or vodka, but is
brewed or fermented like beer or ale. Ok, it beer. You don’t
want to agree, stop reading cuz the rest of this won’t make
sense to you *grin*.
Ok, still, 20 cents for a mug of beer? Hold on, when were the
books written? *flips to the copywrite and sees the first ones
were written in the 70’s) Hmmm. I was around in the 70’s and
distinctly remember buying a mug of draft beer for 25 cents.
*looks at the first calculation* Well shoot, that’s close!
If you are still with me, and are nodding, thinking, hey, that’s
pretty good, then here is the summary of Gorean coinage to Earth
coinage.
1 copper tarsk bit = 1 Earth penny
10 copper tarsk bits = 1 copper tarsk = a dime
100 copper tarsks = 1 silver tarsk = $10.00
10 silver tarsks = 1 gold tarn = $100.00
2 gold tarns = 1 doubleweight gold tarn = $200.00
I sat back, now being able to visualize the coinage better, and
smiled. If the coinage is more like the 70’s then the prices of
things sold should reflect the prices of that item in the 70’s.
A chocolate bar was, what? 10 cents? 1 copper tarsk. Sound
reasonable. Now while this may not equate to, say lodgings in
the 70’s, keep in mind that Gor was based on cultures from
Medieval and Roman times. Being a student of history, I realize
something like, say lodgings, were much cheaper. If you read the
quotes above, and understand that you could live on 1 gold tarn
for a year, then paying 50 cents (5 copper tarsks) for a night’s
lodgings in an inn of Gor makes sense. Keep your mind set
Gorean, not Earthen with inflation, gouging middle men and
company profits. I only equated the coinage to Earth coinage to
give an easier mental picture of what your pocket change was.
For people to toss around huge amounts of gold on Gor, like 5000
dwt gold tarns for a larl, is as ridiculous as paying
$1,000,000.00 today for a lion. (By the way, you’d just have to
kill or release the darn thing when it matured anyway, cuz they
turn on you *grin*)
((These Scrolls were given to Me Nyah Coultrain Merchant Of Gor
by Joe MacBain To use as Reference to my Caste))[/center]
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