History Main / GoldSilverCopperStandard

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). This has absolutely no basis in fact -- even if coins were minted to deliberately have this relationship, the prices of metals varies, and the "exchange rate" between different coins would fluctuate with time just as exchange rates between currencies do. This is generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality, as very few people would be interested in doing "realistic" calculations of this nature.

Note that a fixed exchange rate among a currency and multiple precious metals [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimetallism has been dabbled with in the past]], and it generally doesn't end well. People being what they are, they will hoard or melt down the more valuable metal and spend only the metal with the artificially increased value.

The trope title is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard gold standard]], when paper money is set to be worth a fixed amount of gold, but the trope is otherwise unrelated to the concept. Expect to see the coins in a GoldSilverCopperStandard economy referred to as [metal] piece or [metal] coin; when they're given another name, it can overlap with FictionalCurrency. TastyGold is related, for checking the purity of the gold coins. Often a GlobalCurrency, though that's [[JustifiedTrope understandable]], as the value in the coins comes from the precious metal itself.

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). This has absolutely no basis in fact -- even if coins were minted to deliberately have this relationship, the prices of metals varies, and the "exchange rate" between different coins would fluctuate with time just as exchange rates between currencies do. This is generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality, as very few people would be interested in doing "realistic" calculations of this nature. Note that a fixed exchange rate among a currency and multiple precious metals [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimetallism has been dabbled with in the past]], and it generally doesn't end well. People being what they are, they will hoard or melt down the more valuable metal and spend only the metal with the artificially increased value.

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). This has absolutely no basis in fact -- even if coins were minted to deliberately have this relationship, the prices of metals varies, and the "exchange rate" between different coins would fluctuate with time just as exchange rates between currencies do. This is generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality, as very few people would be interested in doing "realistic" calculations of this nature.

* {{Terraria}} uses copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins. 100 coins of a lower denomination are equal to one higher-denomination coin.
** In fact, for ease, of storage, 100 coins of a lower denomination can be ''crafted into'' a higher-denomination coin.

* ''Terraria'' uses copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins. 100 coins of a lower denomination are equal to one higher-denomination coin.

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). This is completely unhistorical but generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality. Silver historically traded at between 12:1 and 20:1 to gold, and copper traded at between 20:1 and 40:1 to silver. Just in order to be able to compare purchases and sales made in different metals, currencies, and/or years, medieval and early modern historians used something called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_of_account monies of account]], which no one at the present day [[http://www.amazon.com/Wheels-Commerce-Civilization-Capitalism-15Th-18th/dp/0520081153 except economic historians]] can really understand.

* ''SpiceAndWolf'' has... far too many currency systems to even remember, but their values are definitely based on gold and silver content.
** Partially. But more important is the trust that the traders give to the coin. A tiny shift in precious metal content can lead to huge shift in value; very much like it used to be in real life, in fact.

* Similarly ''RuneQuest'', but prices are usually given in silver Lunars, with copper Clacks being the common street currency and gold Wheels usually having to be changed for silver before they can be spent (though Sun-worshippers use gold on principle).

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). The odds of this ever happening are low -- even if coins were minted to deliberately have this relationship, the prices of metals varies, and the "exchange rate" between different coins would fluctuate with time just as exchange rates between currencies do. This is generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality, as very few people would be interested in doing "realistic" calculations of this nature.

* The {{Drakensang}} games use this ratio, but name the coins for historical currencies: the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducat ducat]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taler taler]], and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farthing_%28British_coin%29 farthing]].

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). This was never the case historically. In Europe, the ratio of gold to silver fluctuated between 1:15 and 1:20; in China, the ratio was so high that gold wasn't even minted as coins, but used unminted as a store of value. (Tokugawa Shogunate Japan tried to maintain a ratio of 1:4 of gold to silver, with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koban_%28coin%29 tragic results]].)

To get around this issue, most European accounting firms kept their books in one of a number of "moneys of account," imaginary currencies which did not fluctuate in value; a modern counterpart is the "constant Year 2000 dollar" which one often sees in discussions of recent history.

Drastically simplified currency conversions -- along with not having to worry about the very significant ''weight'' of precious-metal moneys -- are typically seen as AcceptableBreakFromReality, perhaps because fully understanding pre-20th-century currencies all but requires a master's degree in economic history.

The trope title is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard gold standard]], when paper money is set to be worth a fixed amount of gold, but the trope is otherwise unrelated to the concept. Expect to see the coins in a GoldSilverCopperStandard economy referred to as [metal] piece or [metal] coin (which was anything but historical practice); when they're given another name, it can overlap with FictionalCurrency. TastyGold is a good way to check the purity of the gold part of this currency regime.

Often a GlobalCurrency. That ''should be'' a JustifiedTrope, since the value of the coins comes from the precious metal itself, but it wasn't always such historically; Persia under the Safavids, for example, required all travelers to have their currency re-minted to the approved Persian counterparts, minus a certain fee for the minters. (Their currency was over-valued against its precious metal content, and accepted widely in India, so there was some compensation. In other countries where the same policy held but the currency was less valuable, currency smuggling was rampant.)

To get around this issue, most European accounting firms kept their books in one of a number of "moneys of account," imaginary currencies which did not fluctuate in value; a modern counterpart is the "constant Year 2000 dollar" which one often sees in historical discussions.

The trope title is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard gold standard]], when paper money is set to be worth a fixed amount of gold, but the trope is otherwise unrelated to the concept. Expect to see the coins in a GoldSilverCopperStandard economy referred to as [metal] piece or [metal] coin (which was anything but historical practice); when they're given another name, it can overlap with FictionalCurrency. TastyGold is a good way to check the purity of the gold part of the currency regime.

When using the GoldSilverCopperStandard, expect the coins to use a decimal system -- a coin will be worth ten times the denomination below it and one tenth the denomination above it, so that 1 gold = 10 silver = 100 copper (though occasionally units of 100 are used instead of 10). The odds of this ever happening are low -- even if coins were minted to deliberately have this relationship, the prices of metals varies, and the "exchange rate" between different coins would fluctuate with time just as exchange rates between currencies do. This is generally an AcceptableBreakFromReality, as very few people would be interested in doing "realistic" calculations of this nature.

The trope title is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard gold standard]], when paper money is set to be worth a fixed amount of gold, but the trope is otherwise unrelated to the concept. Expect to see the coins in a GoldSilverCopperStandard economy referred to as [metal] piece or [metal] coin; when they're given another name, it can overlap with FictionalCurrency. TastyGold is related, for checking the purity of the gold coins. Often a GlobalCurrency, though that's [[JustifiedTrope understandable]], as the value in the coins comes from the precious metal itself.

* ''{{Gor}}'' has gold, silver, and copper [[FictionalCurrency Tarsks]].

* ''EverQuest'' has platinum coins above the other three. Each denomination trades up at a 10:1 ratio.

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' uses [[FictionalCurrency golden dragons and silver stags]], named after the AnimalMotifs used by the previous and current dynasty, respectively.

* ''HarryPotter'' uses gold, silver, and bronze coins as money in the wizarding world; they're called [[FictionalCurrency galleons, sickles, and knuts]], respectively. They don't relative values are decimalized, but rather have 17 sickles to the galleon and 29 knuts to the sickle, presumably to make their system similar to the [[OldMoney pre-decimalized British currency]] (or perhaps as another way of making the wizarding world whimsical/whacky).

* ''HarryPotter'' uses gold, silver, and bronze coins as money in the wizarding world; they're called [[FictionalCurrency galleons, sickles, and knuts]], respectively.

* ''DragonAgeOrigins'' uses the 100:1 ratio. Gold coins are referred to as ''[[OldMoney sovereigns]]'', while copper coins are known as ''bits''.

* ''DragonAgeOrigins'' uses the 100:1 ratio, but [[FictionalCurrency calls gold coins "soverigns" and copper coins "bits"]].

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