Coinage problems
DILLON%cimv1...@relay.cs.net
There has been much discussion about the minting of coins for use during SCA
events. However the one problem most likely to scrap the entire project is
getting the merchants to accept the coins when most of them prefer not to
accept even mundane Susan B. Anthonys and half dollars.
The majority of merchants do not enjoy receiving large amounts of coins
at events. I can't remember the number of times merchants have asked if I
would accept large denomination coins as change, just so they could get rid of
them. For most scadians the feel of a purse full of heavy, clinking coins
simply adds to the period feel. But for the merchant who must leave the event
with untold pounds of coinage, the feel is one of a strained back.
An added problem for the poor merchant is that they must then carry these
coins to a bank in order to change or deposit them. As anyone who has
attempted this feat, the banks are often recalcitrant about counting large sums
of coins. Especially when there is a line behind you. Often you are told to
come back the next day after the change counting machine is finished, and many
of those do not recognize the Susan B. Anthonys.
Now the immediate rebuttal is that if we minted our own coins they could be
redeemed at the site. This also presents a problem, as there must then be a
"bank" at every event. This bank must maintain a large sum of money to redeem
the coins used at the merchants. Most merchants will not wish to retain coins,
this is how many of them eat and pay bills. Thus the bank must be open late
enough for the merchants to finish their last sales and then give them enough
time to count and redeem the coins. How many people want to stay as late as
the merchants? They are usually the last to leave due to the amount of packing
they must do. Or in the case of a bank counting coinage, even if the merchant
has been wise enough to send over coins in small batches earlier in the day.
Also the concentration of coinage can become a problem. If a large number of
people carry coins from one event to the next, who can predict which event they
will be turned in at. If a coin laden horde of people descend upon an event
with an undersupplied bank, the merchants will have to wait until a later event
or some cumbersome and slow method of mailing coinage to redeem them. Again
this is rent money for some of them, I'd love to hear this explained to a
landlord...
Perhaps checks written on a "royal bank account of the SCA mint" in case of
such rush could solve this, but do we really want to start such a large
administrative effort?
I have been a trifle long winded, but the merchants must be consulted and
they must whole heartedly agree to the idea of coinage before it ever be
attempted.
Throwing coins upon the water, (or is it fire?)
John McGuire
Lord Hrothgar, I know a carpenter who can help you with the counterfitting
problem.
Dale Andrew Harris
Granted this has been mentioned before in the Principality of Cynagua(West)
there is a Moneyers Guild which hammers out coins in a fine period fashion
and as far as I know they are having no problems from mundane authorities.
Most of the coin they make are out of a fine pewter which looks real close
to silver, though for special requests they have made coins out of much more
valuable stuff. Though the coins are more tokens than official money some
merchants would probably trade for the more-look-for coins, but I doubt
they would resell them. The guildmembers are the only ones that sell the coins
and they use the money to make more coins in the future. The coins usually
have some representation of the present Prince and Princess of Cynagua or the
King and Queen of the West on one face and the guildmember's personal design
(whoever made the dye with which the particular coin was stamped) on the
other side. If you were going to try to make the coins an official currency
in your kingdom then I would think that would be impossible due to all the
problems stated before. Counterfeiting would be impossible to detect because
each coin is differant naturally (it is hard to get a perfect coin, besides if
they have some minor defect then they are more attractive anyways) and I would
have no doubt the mundane authorities whose job involves currency would be
displeased if not down right awnry about any other money besides the national
one. If anyone has anymore questions about the process of coining I would be
happy to pass it on to one of the guildmembers then e-mail back their responce.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wolfgang Rotkopf Shire of Rivenoak, Principality of
(aka Dale A. Harris) Cynagua, Kingdom of the West.
rod...@cscihp.csuchico.edu
dha...@next.csuchico.edu
{both Internet}
In Service,
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That's right... CSU Chico does not have opinions (except mabey about riots).
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Josh Mittleman
> I have been a trifle long winded, but the merchants must be consulted and
>they must whole heartedly agree to the idea of coinage before it ever be
>attempted.
My lord, I disagree. Why should we consult the merchants? Anyone one
is going to make money selling to the gentle folk of the Society can
reasonably be expected to conform the SCA's way of doing things, nu?
I am another of the people who routinely goes to War with $50 worth of
silver (Ike, not Susan B.) dollars and Kennedy half dollars, because
they feel right. If the merchants don't want my money, there are
plenty of other merchants.
Arval.
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Joshua Mittleman (mit...@ibm.com or jos...@paul.rutgers.edu)