Faerûn Currency Systems: Standards, Shillings, Pound Notes, and Street Coins

In Faerûn, wealth flows in two forms: the clean decimals of the guildhall and the jangling coins of the marketplace. The Waterdeep Trading Company unites both under a dual system of Financial Currency (FSD) and Coinage Currency. To better support large-scale trade, a new instrument has been added to the ledger ,  the Faerûn Pound Note,  bridging noble contracts and inter-kingdom finance with trust and paper.

Financial Currency: The Faerûn Standard Dollar and Pound

The Faerûn Standard Dollar (FSD) remains the base reporting unit for all accounts. It is now joined by the Faerûn Pound Note (FPN), a high-value financial denomination equal to 20 FSD. The Pound Note is not minted but scribed, sealed, and backed by vaults ,  a symbol of trust between guilds and noble houses.

Usage:

• FPN: Treasury bonds, noble house contracts, cross-border financing
• FSD: Guild ledgers, ERP, taxation
• Shillings, Pence, Farthings: Decimal fractions for books, not minted

Coinage Currency: Minted for the People

Coins remain the lifeblood of Faerûn’s markets. Here, shillings follow the traditional rule of 12 pence to the shilling, a standard that predates the decimal ledger.

Reconciling Ledger and Market

The Waterdeep Trading Company enforces a clear reconciliation between the ledger and the purse:

• 1 Pound Note = 20 FSD
• 1 FSD = 10 Ledger Shillings = 100 Pence
• 1 Market Shilling = 12 Pence ≈ 0.12 FSD
• 1 Penny = 4 Farthings = 0.01 FSD

Thus, a merchant may sign a contract for 5 Pound Notes, while the tavern still demands a shilling for ale.

Time-As-Money

The currency also mirrors labor:

• 1 Pound Note ≈ 20 days of work
• 1 FSD ≈ 1 day of work
• 1 Ledger Shilling ≈ 1 hour (decimalized)
• 1 Market Shilling ≈ 1¼ hours (traditional)
• 1 Penny = 15 minutes
• 1 Farthing = 3–4 minutes

Guild proverbs reflect both sides:
“Count pounds in the ledger, but shillings in the street.”
“Never waste a farthing’s time.”

Final Thoughts

The introduction of the Faerûn Pound Note marks a turning point in the Realms’ finance. Ledgers now have a high-value denomination for great contracts, while coins remain unchanged for daily trade. The FSD keeps decimals neat for ERP, the Pound Note enables treasury-scale trust, and the shilling-penny-farthing chain preserves cultural authenticity.

The Waterdeep Trading Company thrives because it honors both: the ink of the ledger and the weight of the coin.

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