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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xeriar" data-source="post: 994273" data-attributes="member: 4116">Depending on the level of civilization/technology, anywhere from 50% to 95% were involved in the production and distribution of food and water.Taxes usually took either one of two forms, depending on the type of civilization.1: A portion of all goods - two-thirds of a person's production is not unknown.2: Indentured servitude for two months or so out of the year.  Working farms, doing public projects, serving in the army, and so on - the Inca and Egyptian nations both practiced this.Purchase is, of course, usually done by barter.  Something strange has to occur for coin to become completely commonplace - though it may certainly happen.You may see, for example, a 'poor serf family' with some chickens and two heads of cattle working some land.They have all the milk, cheese, and eggs they can want - and then some.  They barter for stuff, and have a quota of some items they have to meet when the tax collector comes around.  He may be allowed to take a certain amount of food as his actual pay (since such items easily spoil).Other serf families may have less perishable goods, and the goods themselves are taken.---If you're getting an image of a tax collector loading up a giant wagon full of junk - this is exactly what happens.</blockquote>