Currency Document in Erra | World Anvil
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Currency

Pre Collapse

Before The Collapse, the most commonly accepted currency in the primary nations of Erra was the Boulon. Originally, each nation had utilized their own currencies and trade systems during their formation and developmental years, but as international trade and discourse began to define them, it was soon agreed upon that a unified money would be enacted, somewhere around the time of 712. While Enphune was initially hesitant to join the other nations in the use of the Boulon, they would soon be left with little choice as their currency was no longer recognized by other trading partners, effectively strong-arming them into its adoption.   Boulons came in denominations of 1, 5, 25, 100 and 250.

Post Collapse

Currency after The Collapse became a difficult logistical issue to solve. The main accepted currency in use throughout Erra at time of writing is understood to be Pieces of Gold, abbreviated to Pcs.   In the first decades after the Collapse, the usage of any sort of currency was rare, as the Boulon was not guaranteed to still be recognized by other trading partners in good faith. Instead, Scrap Metal was used as an approximation instead, particularly as communities began to focus on salvaging and reconstructing older technologies, with the versatility of its potential utility making it an attractive type of object to store. There are few records kept of the usage of Metal in this way, but some notable trading posts still accept Scrap to this day due to its efficacy.   Gold Pieces were first suggested by prominent trading partners in Urushee in roughly 936, due to possibility of melting down existing Boulons into the new currency, allowing the feasible recycling of the discontinued coinage and maintaining a fraction of its Pre-Collapse value. These partners would refer to themselves as the Erra Economic Collective, or EEC.   The conversions of Boulon to Gold Pieces are typically strictly controlled, as the possibilities of scavengers accessing unexplored Old World bank vaults and leaving with potential hundreds of thousands in Boulons could jeopardize the new economy - To this end, it was once a common matter for the economic leaders to arrange small battalions of scavengers to secure such large quantities of money, so that it may be redistributed in a controlled fashion. Most trading partners will be hesitant to accept excessive quantities of Boulons due to this.   Conveniently, this system allowed for the conversion of large amounts of the EEC's existing wealth, but there were few who had the authority or sway to challenge the notion without putting themselves at significant risk in terms of economic stability.  

Urushee

Urushee was the original nation to create and adopt the Post-Collapse currency, with the Erra Economic Committee being formed within its new Capital city. Before then, communities within Urushee mostly operated using Barter economies, trading items based on their perceived values and necessity to the larger collective. As order began to be re-established in the decades following The Collapse, supplies would occasionally be shared at no cost in order to strengthen the bonds between communities, or in exchange for immaterial services, like protection from raiding groups.  

Enphune

Currency in Enphune is largely only recognised as a matter of convenience. Due to the nation largely being run by gangs or organised conglomerates serving their own needs, Barter is still the primarily accepted method of trade in the nation. However, it is not unheard of for them to deal in Pcs when trading with outside groups, particularly caravans from Urushee, in order to expedite the process - These caravans are exceptionally rare due to the high rates of Banditry, causing those that are not desperate or daring to stay within the relatively safe borders of other nations instead. This makes such trades with Enphunian groups a particularly lucrative business.  

Ihhir

The City State of Ihhir continued usage of the Boulon after The Collapse occurred. Decreed by the Ihhir Ruling Committee in the months after the event, their reliance upon trade to function as a society necessitated that the Boulon remain active in order to sustain their way of life and cultural traditions, being deemed that the loss of both their deified Draconic leader and markets would destabilize the proud state. In order to bypass potential issues caused by reusing the Boulon, such as the possibility of scavenging large quantities of it, the amount of the coin in circulation was strictly controlled from the offset by the Council.   Any scavenged Boulons were mandated by law to be reported to the authorities, with harsh sentences to those that failed to do so and were discovered, while a decree was put in place that Boulons originating from outside Ihhir were not allowed to be brought into the nation. Individuals caught attempting to bring them into the City State would be charged with criminal fraud. This ultimately created a tension among civilians seeking refuge in Ihhir as a safe haven from the turmoil caused by The Collapse, facing the possibility of their economic status being wiped clean if they lacked material possessions that could be sold.   While there is much criticism levelled at Ihhir for firmly remaining with their past identities in the present day, the effectiveness of this strategy in their reconstruction is difficult to deny, with both its small size and authoritative structure proving beneficial to the immense levels of organization required.   When the EEC formed and announced their intention to bring in Gold Pieces as the new universal currency, Ihhir refused to give up the Boulon, as the discrepancies in value between the currencies would provide significant difficulties in their economic markets. Instead, they chose to keep the antiquated currency in circulation, offering their own tightly measured conversion rates inside their border.
















"Well, there's quite a living to be made scavenging for these old Boulons out there. Enough for people to risk their lives and die for. They're easier to take with you than the fancier technology, even if they aren't worth quite as much." - Rick Zaw, Scavenger, 43
 
"Convenient, ain't it? The whole world goes to , and the same people ended up at the top, callin' all the shots with all the coin anyways." - A colourful farmer I interviewed on the outskirts of Urushee
















"Don't get me wrong, Ihhir are doing fine for themselves. But it's got that asterisk next to it that required you to have already been one of them - Or so rich they welcome you with open arms anyways." Grace, 29, Care Worker

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