So I'm currently working on a pirate adventure novel. For the most part it is a short, fast paced actioner with not too much emphasis on world building but, as I've been writing Ive realised that it is essentially set in a fantasy world with not much connection to ours. There are broader fantasy elements, but even all my locations are completely fictional and there is not reference to any real places/people/countries. I have however been using real currencies where they are mentioned (which to be fair is not often). Does this work? I feel like currently that is no telling either way whether it takes place in our history, as its simple not brought up. Thanks
You could use a 'real' (pun intended once I noticed it) currency like the 'real' (pronounced ree-al I think) used by Spain in the New World but only refer to it as 'real' leaving it open if it's based on a historical currency or a fictional one. This of course would go back to the other thread on using terms in ways the reader may not be familiar with but I don't think it will take long for the reader to get it.
Dong. In the real world, the names of currencies derived from weights, as in "one pound of gold", and fractions thereof. So think about how weights are used in your world and work it from there. Or just use real-world coins, yarr.
This is a creative idea; however, if the currency in your story has no real significance and is only something that is plundered and spent, then simplifying it to gold, silver, and copper should be fine. However, if the currency drives the plot in some way (such as the specific material for the currency is causing issues politically or a specific material that is being acquired through slaves), then sure, get a little creative. Overall, I think it depends on how much energy you want to put into it.
Money is money no matter what you call it. It's a universal concept that doesn't require explanation. Call it whatever you want... the reader will understand.
Yeah good point, its not all that important and is only used for a couple of small scenes were trade is involved, I think I will probably stick to real currency but we will see. Thanks
That said, if people start using dollars, quarters, dimes, etc., in a fantasy story, I'm gonna go "Huh??"
I'm re-reading some old fantasy at the moment and money figures quite prominently, but the author refers to gold and silver "marks." He mentions that the value of the different coinages fluctuates as a silver shortage is one of the background plot elements, but the only time in five books or so that he assigns a specific value is when he offers a poor person ten silver marks to perform a job and then says that that was probably about what they'd make in three months as a laborer. You can give the money any name you like, show once or twice what it will buy and everybody will be happy as long as you're consistent. Related note: I just watched Safety Last, a 1923 silent film. The hero gets his rent bill early on, $14 for two weeks rent. He gets a paycheck later, $15 for 6 days work, and later still sees a 50 cent "businessman's lunch" with a bowl of soup (10 cents), a plate with ham, peas, and potatoes (20 cents), a slice of pie (10 cents), and a cup of coffee (10 cents). As he spent his last five dimes elsewhere we saw the items disappear one by one. I don't think Harold Lloyd intended to provide an economic touchstone for the people of the next century, but he did a very good job of it. 21st century trigger warning: the scene is interspersed with some casual anti-Semitism.
Krone, leu, dollar, pataca, markka, franc, birr, dobra, koruna, pound rand, sucre, taka, quetzal.... Sorry, just had the word menu out. These are all nice names, but I think they're a little overmuch for a fantasy world.
"Dollar" comes from "thaler" and thence from "Joachimsthaler," or "Joachim's Valley" silver, so dollars are "valley money."
I was using florins in the fantasy epic that I'll never probably finish, mostly because I liked the name, but I need to think about the florin's value because my MC throws them around like it's going out of style. Apparently in real life they contained 54 grains of gold, so either the florins in my WIP are incredibly debased or they're florins only nominally.
The lira was originally issued by Charlemagne, who based it on a pound of silver. It wasn't a coin at the time, simply a notation of value. By the time the Turks redenominated their lira in 2005, the old Turkish lira traded at 1,350,000 to the US dollar. They stripped six zeros off and it is currently trading at 7.38 TRY to the USD. Still cheaper than a pound of silver, which is running around $390/lb (a real pound, none of that troy ounce bullshit).
I’d say it depends what real world currency you’re using. Doubloons, pieces-of-eight, reales, or generic dollars/thalers? Those lend themselves to your pirate adventure aesthetic pretty well. But I’d steer clear of modern-sounding denomination names or nicknames like buck, quarter, dime, etc. Creating your own currencies has its advantages, though. One of my published stories hinges on the properties of coins made from a fictional metal, which allowed them to be turned into murder weapons.
The first time I went it meant you could afford a Happy Meal. The last time it was down to a Coke (smile not included at that price point).
In fantasy, I stick to gold crowns, silver shillings and copper pennies, with the occasional half-crown thrown in for good measure. It's unimaginative, but I want to create a feeling of familiarity for the readers. Of course, then there's the issue of relative value. A peasant in my worlds wouldn't earn a whole gold crown in a month.
I'd suggest having a range of currencies if your pirates are stealing from ships from different nations. Perhaps nation A use shillings, nation B uses marks, nation C uses crowns, etc. That's more realistic than having all of those nations sharing a single currency. Also, there's a great list of possible names here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_banknotes_and_coins Florins? Groats? Modern British money is so dull in comparison.
Going to draw from WH40K Hive Cities, but it will make sense. Thrones are the Imperium standard currency for all under it's control. However, the locals in a given sector will deal in their own made currencies outside of their manufacturing Scritps which are only useful and traded for goods and services from that company that issued it. So you can essentially mint a private coin/note system for your organization that is only accepted from within it, while keeping outside currencies valuable to trade and commerce with those that have minted it. Or you could go the Ork route and use teeth (granted an Ork is much like a shark in the sense that they constantly replenish missing teeth.) Basically currency is anything that is of value and exchangeable between all agreeable parties, that is uniform, and not random crazy goods/services like barter is.