Currencies of the Forgotten Realms

Mint / Value < 1 cp 1 cp 2 cp 1 sp 1 ep 1 gp 2 gp 5 gp 1 pp 20 gp 50 gp

Amn — Fander — Taran Centaur Danter — — Roldon — —
Baldur's Gate — Head — Sword — Double Eagle — — — — —
Calimshan
- Calimport — Unarche — Decarche Centarche Bicenta — — Kilarche — —
- Almraiven — Rada — — Tazo — — — — — —
- Teshburi — Niften — — — Pulon — — — — —
- Manshaka — Spanner — — Djendive — — — Djendjen — —
- Keltar — — — Messine — — — — Redoline — —
- Memnon — — — Red Worm Zonth Great Worm — — — — —
- Volothamp — — — Espedrille — Rekatik — — Mandrille — —
Chessenta — — Bit Talent — Drake — — Authokh Bebolt —
Cormanthyr* — Thalver — Bedoar Thammarch Shilmaer — — Ruendil — —
Cormyr — Thumb — Falcon Blue Eye Lion — — Tricrown — —
Eltural — Square — Moon — Corner — — — — —
Halruaa* — Penny — Shilling — Dubloon — Skie — — —
Hillsfar — Weight — Shill Half-Crown Crown — — — — —
Impiltur — Sardil — Halanth Mark Balan — — Torntar — —
Iriaebor — Cord — Torch — Scroll — — — — —
Maztica* — Bean — Blade — — — Quill — — —
Mirabar — Tanner — Dena — Orb — — — — —
Moonshaes — Penny — Shilling Half-Crown Crown — — Coat of Arms — —
Netheril* — copper — silver — gold — — Thuhrn Pyramid —
Mulmaster — Knarr — Cog — Ducat — — — — —
Myth Drannor*
- Common — Sling — Axe Sword Spear — — Longsword — —
- Noble — Tankard — Gem Pipe Scroll — — Star — —
- Races — Halfling — Dwarf Gnome Human — — Elf — —
Neverwinter — Tharn — Bult Sea-Shee Dragon — — Fairsail — —
Procampur — Sestus — Drachma — Pyron — — — — —
Raven's Bluff — Denari — Hyper — Ducat — — — — —
Sembia — Steelpence — Hawk Blue Eye Noble — — — — —
- Selgaunt — Penny — Raven Ring Fivestar — — Sun — —
Serôs* — White — Yellow — Green — — Blue — —
Kara-Tur — Fen — Yuan — Tael — — Ch'ien — —
Silverymoon — Glint — Shield Sword Dragon — — Unicorn Moon* Eclipsed Moon*
Tethyr — Donsar — Paxar Corlar Aenar Brakar — — — —
Thay* Shek (½) Fen — Drama — Nomisma — — Regal — —
Unther Wedge (¼) Egora — — Sheka — — — — — —
Vassa — Nub — Dirk — Anvil — — — — Ingot
Waterdeep — — — Shard Sambar Dragon Toal* — Sun — Harbour Moon*
Windrise Ports — Haeth — Talond Haebur Crown — — Splendor — —
Zakhara — Bit — Dirham — Dinar — — — — —
Zhentil Keep — Fang — Talon Tarenth Glory — — Platinum Glory — —

Unless otherwise noted (*) these coins are all accepted at face value
anywhere in the Forgotten Realms (perhaps with some grumbling).
Folk of some lands (most notably Halruaa and Thay) are known to
use the currencies of other realms when trading abroad, because their
own coins and tokens are feared to be magically cursed and are thus
often shunned by others.
Conversely, the coins of long-lost, legendary lands and centers of
great magic (Netheril and Cormanthyr in particular) are highly sought-
after, anyone finding them would be wise to sell them to collectors,
rather than just spending them in the market.
Calimshan
The individual city-states of Calimshan each mint their own coins, but
they can all be found throughout in the nation and elsewhere in the
realms. Red Worms are cast from silver and coated with an ochre dye,
old coins with the dye worn off, are known locally as "skinned worms".
Cormanthyr
Being a crossroads of greater elven civilisation, settlements all across
Cormanthyr have spelljamming elves of the Imperial Navy spending
currency from many far-flung realms and worlds. Collecting rare and
exotic alien coins has become an idle passtime among elven nobles.
Cormyr
Cormyrian Falcons and Sembian Hawks are such similar triangular
silver coins, they are often used interchangeably—to the increasing
economic frustration of the Sembian government who have tried to
end the practise by replacing Hawks with a new iron Steelpence.
Kara-Tur
Unrecognised coins are often declared to come "from the mystical
empire of Shou Lung". Of course most are not even from Kara-Tur and
removing coinage from the empire is a serious crime, but the saying
has still become widespread across the Forgotten Realms.
Maztica
The cocoa beans, copper blades and wax-sealed quills of gold dust
that pass for currency in Maztica are not accepted as such outside
of the True World, but they are usually easy to convert. The value of
a cocoa bean varies somewhat depending on local demand, but the
bitter chocolate it produces has become hugely popular across the
Forgotten Realms, and beans are considered to be worth 1 cp each.
Myth Drannor
The 3 sets of coins they minted are functionally identical, but each
has major social connotations. One set were used by commoners
and tradesmen and one set by nobles and royalty. The third set of
coins are extremely rare, only 1,000 of each were minted before
being discontinued, due to the uncomfortable way they seemed to
display the relative value that the elves place on the different races.
Netheril
Netherese coins all had a magical essence incorporated into their
design and manufacture, partly to prevent counterfeiting.
Thurhn are octagonal platinum coins with twin lightning bolts
crossed over a mountin on the obverse and the minting year on the
reverse. They are valued as Common magic items by collectors.
Pyramid coins of the netherese triumvirate all have holographic
images of a flying city above a forested landscape on the reverse,
and a bust of Nether the Elder on the obverse, with the minting year
at the bottom and the words E Magicus Unum along the top. Under
the left side of the bust a letter designates the city of minting (“D”
for Delia, “I” for Ioulaum, and “K” for Karsus). Introduced just
before The Fall, they are valued as Uncommon magic items.
Sembia
Square-shaped iron Steelpence were recently introduced to replace
the silver Hawk, but they were massively over-produced, lessening
their value. Blue Eyes are diamond-shaped and while the design of
the Noble varies yearly, it always has a distinctive five-sided shape.
Serôs
The aquatic realms beneath the Sea of Fallen Stars, use pearls of
various colours to trade. They are worth 10 times the listed value
on land, which is often known as the 'wet price' and the 'dry price'.
Silverymoon
The crescent-shaped Electrum Moon, and the circular Eclipsed
Moon, are worth only half as much outside of the Silver Marches.
Vassa
The Warlock Knights of Vaasa minted minted their own currency
uisng alloys of the traditional metals with ironfell; a magical metal-
like substance mined from the body of the fallen primordial Telos.
Rather than using platinum coins, they mint ingots worth 50 gp.
Waterdeep
The square brass Toal has no value outside of the city, so they are
usually exchanged before leaving. The palm-sized, crescent-shaped
Harbor Moon, however, is made from platinum inset with electrum,
and still worth around 30 gp elsewhere—for the raw metal alone.
Zhentil Keep
Coins minted at Zhentil Keep are given unflattering nicknames by
the inhabitants: Platinum; "flat metal gem". Gold; "weeping wolf".
Electrum; "hardhammer". Silver; "flea-bit". Copper; "dung-piece".
Other Forms of Currency
Bela
Paper money used by barbarian tribes to the east of Kara-Tur. In
Faerûn it is worthless and sometimes even offered as an insult.
Blood Notes
So-called because these promissory notes are signed in blood by all
parties involved, and then stamped with the seal of a local lord or
magistrate. They are widely used by individuals, adventuring
companies, cities or countries. In common usage the debtor is
legally obligated to pay when the note is presented. Notes from
deceased individuals are no longer considered legally binding.
Ch'ao
Paper notes widely used in Kara-Tur that are printed with values of
1, 10 and 100 gp. Being so easy to carry, ch'ao are usually favored
over coinage for large transactions throughout the region, but in
Faerûn they are considered little more than a worthless curiosity.
Gems
Inherently valuable because people desire them for their beauty and
also because the arcane arts require certain gems be used as spell
components, which are often consumed in the casting, thus
increasing their rarity even more. (Gems in the Forgotten Realms)
Gond Bells
Introduced by the Lantanese and used in regions of the North—
usually in trade between worshipers of Gond—these small brass
bells are each worth 10 gp, or 20 gp if traded to a church of Gond.
Letters of Trade
Written commitments to make payment of a defined amount of
money, according to the terms and conditions specified within.
Mercenary Cards
Small pieces of parchment about the size of a playing card, usually
marked on one side with the symbol of a mercenary company and
handwritten authorisation from the troop paymaster on the other.
Shaar Ivory Rings
Made of sliced and bored ivory, these rings are usually hung in
bundles on long strings. Valued at roughly 3 gp in trade with the
plainsmen of Shaar, they are worth very little outside the region.
Soul Coins
Tharsult Statues
Small art objects usually made from ivory, jade or serpentine, which
are traded in that region. Worth about 5 gp each in their native land,
any reaching the North are novelties that can be worth up to 15 gp.
Trade Bars
Accepted throughout the realms, these bars of precious metals are
typically marked with the seal or symbol of the nation or mercantile
group that minted them. The current agreed standard for trade bars
was set in Baldur's Gate where they began minting silver ingots
measuring 6" × 2" × 1", that weigh 5 lb. and have a value of 25 gp.
Standard trade bars made of other, more expensive metals also
weigh exactly 5 lb. but they vary in size to account for the relative
differences in density: Gold; 250 gp. Platinum; 2,500 gp. Mithral;
12,500 gp, Adamantine; 25,000 gp.
Non-Standard Trade Bars
Amn: The wealthy Amnian mercantile houses also produce silver
trade bars worth 500 gp and electrum bars worth 1,000 gp.
Calimshan: These bars are 1" longer but have tapered sides, giving
them the same weight and value as the standard bars.
Lantan: Flat steel ingots marked with the wheel of Gond. Worth 20
gp, but used primarily on the Sword Coast, by followers of Gond.
Mirabar: Thin rectangular spindles of black iron, which are worth
10 gp inside the city, but only 5 gp anywhere else.
Myth Drannor: 5" platinum tubes called Yulthaari were used in
trade. Worth 3 pp in raw metal, but likely more to a collector.
Sembia: Small silver ingots, dotted with copper and embossed with
the Sembian hawk. Available in values of 5, 10, 25 and 50 gp.
Shou Lung: The empire uses slender ingots of silver worth 40 gp.
Tethyr: Gold trade rings in 20, 50 and 100 gp weights.
Windrise Ports: Made of electrum rather than silver, as their silver
bars tarnished too quickly.