D&D 5E "Fixing" electrum pieces - looking for a player's perspective

[Shiroiken]

As a grognard, I understand the purpose of the electrum piece pre-3E. For those of you unaware, it used to be 1000 cp = 100 sp = 10 ep = 1 pp, with 2 ep = 1 gp as today, which (supposedly) was an approximate medieval exchange rate. Gp was still the standard, but you often carried small coins since you never got change and there was typically a charge for currency exchange. However, for reasons unknown, D&D got rid of the ep in 3E when they moved to a metric exchange rate. When reintroduced in 5E as a half-coin, it no longer really seems to fit anymore. I'm considering the following houserule for my next campaign, and I'm curious about how the players on the board would feel about it if suggested for your game.

Rather than having ep be equal to half a gp and 5 sp, I'd simply slide it in as 100 sp = 10 ep = 1 gp. From a mechanics perspective, everything in the PHB that costs "gp" would instead be paid as ep. This would provide an additional coin so that characters can carry around more weath more easily. While many groups have "infinity pockets" that hold coins, I try to hold to both encumbrance and container capacity (a pouch can only hold 600 coins, for example). Having a higher coin rate would make it easier for the players to carry their wealth without having to buy gems/jewelry/art or take up space in a bag of holding.

Edit: since it's been asked a couple of times, copper and platinum would still exist in their normal positions, relative to silver and gold respectively.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

What happens to copper pieces? Are they eliminated or does 1,000 cp = 1gp?

 

[the Jester]

I don't really see the ep as a half-gold as a problem. If you are big on encumbrance, it seems to me that making it easy to carry more loot is... well, why? You already have platinum for that.

As a player, I appreciate the lack of a straight 10:1 exchange in all cases. But I'm probably a little weird. I like interesting and nonstandard coins.

 

[Stormonu]

I agree with @the Jester in not seeing the original coin as a problem. It's basically a 50-cent-piece, and considering how that never caught on in modern US coinage, having EP that folks rarely use isn't a problem. If the players just find a cache of them they either sell them to a collector or trade them up/down for coins that have more meaning to them.

If they have too many coins to carry around, either have them turn to a bank to store the excess or give them something worth spending the coinage on.

(For what it's worth, I still go with 1 PP = 5 GP for my own game and it hasn't been a problem)

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

As a player I'd be fine with 100 sp = 10 ep = 1 gp, but I'd be curious why equipment prices would switch from gp to ep. Wouldn't that make equipment ⅒ the normal price, or make gold pieces the new platinum pieces?

I agree with the Jester, I like the idea of using non-metric exchange rates. Like 120 cp = 7 sp = 2½ ep = 1gp = ⅑ pp.

I like the idea, however, I've done this in the past, and it was a total disaster. I don't think I would ever do it again.

 

[Tonguez]

So youre replacing Platinum peices with Electrum?
Like others said Im not really seeing how calling it an ep instead of a pp changes much nor the issue with the original half-crown/ep.

Of course my mind is still boggled by old english system of hapennies, tuppence, shillings, crowns and soverigns so anything metric is fine

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Don't forget thruppence and bits.

 

[Xeviat]

I've never used EP in my games. In fact, I so hardly use CP and SP that I'm considering switching to 100 CP > 1 SP, 100 SP > 1 GP, and 100 GP > 1 PP. GP prices become SP prices, and silver gets used longer.

 

[Tonguez]

Here, try this for you next game

1 Gold Guinea = £1 1s = 21s = 252d
1 Gold Sovereign = £1 = 20s = 240d
1 Pound = £1 = 20s = 240d
1 Mark = 13s4d = 160d
1 Crown = 5s = 60d
1 Shilling = 1s = 12d
1 Sixpence = 6d
1 Threepence = 3d
1 Penny = 1d
1 Halfpence = 1/2d = 2 farthings
1 Farthing = 1/4d

 

[Shiroiken]

What happens to copper pieces? Are they eliminated or does 1,000 cp = 1gp?

No, copper and platinum would still be around, I just didn't include them in the specifics. The final would be 10,000 cp = 1,000 sp = 100 ep = 10 gp = 1 pp.

As a player I'd be fine with 100 sp = 10 ep = 1 gp, but I'd be curious why equipment prices would switch from gp to ep. Wouldn't that make equipment ⅒ the normal price, or make gold pieces the new platinum pieces?

Gold would be the new platinum, and platinum would be a new tier above that.

I agree with the Jester, I like the idea of using non-metric exchange rates. Like 120 cp = 7 sp = 2½ ep = 1gp = ⅑ pp.

Personally, I'd love to go back to the AD&D exchange rate, but my group really likes the metric setup. This is a compromise between the two, since it would bring ep into the metric fold.

I like the idea, however, I've done this in the past, and it was a total disaster. I don't think I would ever do it again.

I'm mostly curious from the players perspective, but if a DM has done something similar, I'd love to hear what happened.