Just *how* big is that gold piece again?

[LazarusLong42]

So, I was thinking a bit about the DnD monetary system (thinking mainly of adding an extra denomination, mithril pieces (1 mp = 10 pp)) and it occurred to me that the "standard" gold piece (PHB p. 168) was pretty large. As I looked at it more, I realized... it's huge. There's no way 50 of those weigh only a pound.

So, I did some calculations:

1 gp | 1 lb  | 453.6 g | 1 cm^3 
-----|-------|---------|-------- = 0.47 cm^3
     | 50 gp |  1 lb   |   1 g

That is, each gold piece has a volume of 0.47 cubic cm. For it to be the size of the Greyhawk coin pictured on p. 168, it would have to be about 1 mm thick.

That's a coin the diameter of a quarter, but the thickness of a dime. Not exactly durable, especially if made out of something as malleable as gold. (It's a coin you can fold up!)

OTOH, something about the size of a nickel probably fits the bill better, in thickness and in diameter.

So... am I the only chemistry geek here who thinks about such things?

 

[2d6]

This way leads to maddness

 

[Piratecat]

The problem is that big coins are cooler. I try not to think too much about it. It makes my brain hurt.

 

[dsfriii]

How about as big as you want them. Coins have varied and size and the same coin has varied in size depending on politcal/economic conditoons.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Maybe it's an alloy?

 

[Vaxalon]

Clearly, the illustration is wrong. It's probably more along the lines of a nickel.

 

[diaglo]

Maybe it's an alloy?

yes, clearly it is not pure gold

just like the mercury dime was not pure silver in the US.

 

[dulsin]

How about as big as you want them. Coins have varied and size and the same coin has varied in size depending on politcal/economic conditoons.

Coins have vairied in size and wieght throught history. The standard gold piece of each realm will have different wieght purity and value. A single gold piece in one country could be worth 20x the value of another countries courency. Personaly I like the idea of large valuable coins worth 5x 20x and 500x a gold piece.

One of my favorite monistic stories is about the phrase 2-bits to mean a quarter. This comes from the old spanish dabloon (a very large valuable coin). In order to make change people would cut the coin in halfs quarters and eighths. The smallest part 1/8 being called one bit. i.e. a quarter being 1/4 or 2/8 is 2 bits.

Then that leads us into shaving. Since all the value of old curency was in the wieght of the metals. Rouge types would shave the coin to make it slightly lighter. Sorta like getting 1% back on your discover card

 

[diaglo]

Then that leads us into shaving. Since all the value of old curency was in the wieght of the metals. Rouge types would shave the coin to make it slightly lighter. Sorta like getting 1% back on your discover card

which is in published adventures.

in 1999 WotC released

Spoiler

Return to the Keep on the Borderlands

. one of the subplots in this adventure has to do with causing problems to the local economy by changing coins.

it was in other adventures too prior to this. but i don't remember the names of all of them off the top of my noggin.

 

[LightPhoenix]

One of my favorite monistic stories is about the phrase 2-bits to mean a quarter. This comes from the old spanish dabloon (a very large valuable coin). In order to make change people would cut the coin in halfs quarters and eighths. The smallest part 1/8 being called one bit. i.e. a quarter being 1/4 or 2/8 is 2 bits.

Doubloon (or occasionally dubloon). And also hence the phrase "pieces of eight".