Currency

[Canadian Army]

I think there could be two types of currency in Twilight 2000.

First would be Bullion Coins, nine nations mint Gold, Platinum, and Silver Bullion Coins; and a large number would be in circulation (How many I do not know, I could not find a number).

Second would be Junk Sliver. Junk silver is an informal term used in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia for any silver coin which is in fair condition and has no numismatic or collectible value above the bullion value of the silver it contains. The word "junk" refers only to the value of the coins as collectibles and not to the actual condition of the coins; junk silver is not necessarily scrap silver. In Twilight 2000 Junk Silver coins would be a currency for several reasons:

Low Premiums:
Coins were purchased for little or no premium over the spot price of silver, particularly during years leading up the war.

Legal Tender:
Coins remain legal tender and maintain their face value regardless of the price of silver.

Recognition:
Coins are familiar and less likely to have their value disputed than silver rounds or bars.

Divisibility:
Coins can be easily spent or traded in small amounts. In contrast, minted silver bullion is rarely smaller than a troy ounce, while minted gold bullion (and other precious metals) is highly valued in even small amounts, like the American Gold Eagle coins.

Viable Alternative:
In the aftermath of the nuclear attacks, in which traditional currency collapsed, junk silver coins provided a viable temporarily alternative, while the fiat currency (paper money), which was not backed by precious metals or other commodities, emerged with no inherent value and was subject to extreme inflation, even hyperinflation.


I have included a list of available Junk Sliver and Bullion Coins.

[swaghauler]

Samples of things actually used as currency (or investment stock) in our own real world before the advent of paper currency. The Time frames are from a 25 year old college Economics book I just happened to still have on my shelf

Ammunition (Africa 19th & 20th century)
Coins, usually of precious metals (world wide, from Biblical Times)
Corn (Americas, until European Colonization)
Grain (Persia, Africa, Biblical Times)
Gems, both precious & semi-precious (world wide, from Biblical Times)
Livestock (Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe, Biblical times thru the Dark Ages)
Minerals (World Wide, from Biblical Times)
Nails (Europe, Americas, Dark Ages until the 18th Century)
Rice (Asia, until the 20th Century)
Pepper (Persian and Roman Empires)
Salt (Carthaginian/Roman Empires, still used in India until the 20th Century)
Tulip Bulbs (used as one of the first "Futures investments" in Holland, During the Age of Reason)

These were "barter" items whose value was generally established and set (ie. a chicken is worth six nails) by the society in question. This list is by no means totally inclusive and many other examples probably exist. This was just a small list in one book. It is amazing that so many strange objects could persist as a "currency" well into the 20th Century though.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

Samples of things actually used as currency (or investment stock) in our own real world before the advent of paper currency. The Time frames are from a 25 year old college Economics book I just happened to still have on my shelf

Another big one in the 17th and 18th centuries was molasses, used in rum production. Molasses was a big part of the Triangle Trade system.

[Toxoplasmaman]

And whisky/whiskey in the frontier in the 1780s.

[CraigD6er]

Another area that will affect what players do is what currency is used outside of their own 'home' patch. Every RPG has a standard list of values for everyday items. Verything is valued in gold pieces, or dollars, or credits, but in a post-WWIII or post-apocalypse setting, there could be dozens of different values for the same items. If you want to get into lots of detail, a single currency doesn't cut it. Imagine if your group happily gathers every piece of gold they can, and trades it for what they need, then they travel to another zone. Suddenly their gold is useless and something they'd not even thought about is what the locals want. Different free cities, or regions, may not use gold, or silver, or bottle caps, as currency, or may assign a different value to them. What can be bought for an ounce of gold in Krakow might cost 2 in Ostrava. Five miles further down the road, they might consider gold as just a pretty but fairly useless item, and value everything by weight of tobacco, or litres of 'shine. How the players negotiate values when every few miles someone has a different idea of 'value' can become a major role playing event.

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by CraigD6er

How the players negotiate values when every few miles someone has a different idea of 'value' can become a major role playing event.

Excellent point, and something I hadn't considered.

I recall in the book "Alas Babylon", honey was used as a 'currency', or at least a valuable trade item and gold and silver jewelry became to be viewed suspiciously because of the possibility they might be radioactive...

[Toxoplasmaman]

Yep. I agree. I have some junk silver stashed away since I'm in the US but if I was in Europe, I'd have gold sovereigns instead.

The Aftermath London adventure has ammo as currency.

Depends on where you are and who you're dealing with.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Gunner

Excellent point, and something I hadn't considered.

I recall in the book "Alas Babylon", honey was used as a 'currency', or at least a valuable trade item and gold and silver jewelry became to be viewed suspiciously because of the possibility they might be radioactive...

Spartan117 was asking about trade and I threw together some rules for him to use with V2/V2.2. You'll have to search for the thread though. I start with an item's rarity and then move your chance to acquire it based on its importance to that individual. You must then roll a test of PERSUASION to buy it at the stated price. My basic Task Difficulty Levels are...

Very Common Item = EASY (Skill X 2) test
Common Items = ROUTINE (1.5 X Skill) test
Uncommon Items = AVERAGE (Skill) test
Scarce Items = DIFFICULT (Skill X 0.5) test
Rare Items = FORMIDABLE (Skill X 0.25) test
Extremely Rare/Experimental = IMPOSSIBLE (0.1 X Skill) task

An Outstanding Success (rolling under RAW Skill without Attribute on an Average task) will get you a 10+1D20% Discount.

An Exceptional Success (rolling under HALF your RAW Skill without Attribute on an Average test) will get you a 50% reduction in price.

Rolling OVER your needed score but under your RAW Skill (the 1-10 number) will cost you 10+1D20% more.

Rolling over your entire Asset (your Skill + Attribute) will double the price.


Also, please note that this is just for buying things or doing "horse trading/bartering" during play. FINDING what you need is a roll on your SCROUNGING skill.
I allow anyone with Economics to add a bonus to their roll.