Multiple currencies.

[Lazloth]

I wonder how the banking system would deal with multiple currencies?

>balance
> You have 219 obsidian coins,  132 wooden coins and 492 ceramic coins in your account.

That's how HSBC/RBC work, right?  You have US and Canadian accounts; can transfer money between (at today's market rate - whatever fee), but they're kept autonomous.

I think on Zalanthas, it could work differently; a common monetary "unit" could exist invisibly.  When you check your balance at a given branch, it would default to the local currency (and do the appropriate math).

So, on this particular day, the raw conversion factor shows: (arbitrarily) 1 'Naki coin = 2 Tuluki coins = 10 tribal coins.

[ You have 219 obsidian coins,  132 wooden coins and 492 ceramic coins ]

In Tuluk:
> balance
> You have 536 coins in your account.

In Allanak:
> balance
> You have 334 coins in your account.

If you wanted to withdraw wood in 'Nak, you'd have to convert the funds (at whatever rate); same with depositing foreign currency.

[jstorrie]

The substance coins are valued against is water: a certain amount will always buy you a certain amount at the temple of the Dragon in Allanak. Theoretically, the Tulukis could have ceramic pieces and the same kind of system.

Currencies that sway in relation based on each city's access to water, the relative scarcity of water versus other goods, and the cities' relations to each other and perceived stability would be awesome. I'd like to see Nenyuki AND independent moneychangers, with the indies unreliable and sketchy but with varying prices.