Coinage

Coins of Waterdeep

Nib

“Copper coin about the size of a thumbnail (1 nib = 1 common copper coin)”

If the example is ¹⁄₂″ side-to-side (thumbnail size), then it’s ⁵⁄₈″ on the diagonal, and the single-surface area is ∼.24 sq.in.

If the example is ³⁄₅″ side-to-side (fits inside taol), then it’s ³⁄₄″ on the diagonal, and the single-surface area is ∼.35 sq.in.

If the example is ³⁄₄″ side-to-side (²⁄₃ of a dragon), then it’s ¹⁵⁄₁₆″ on the diagonal, and the single-surface area is ∼.54 sq.in.

Shard

“Silver coin, slightly smaller than the nib (1 shard = 10 nibs)”

Taol

“Brass coin, about two inches square with a hole large enough for a nib to fit in (1 taol = 200 nibs)”

If the example is 2″ wide, then the hole diameter is ¾″, and the single-surface area is ∼3.4 sq.in.

Dragon

“Gold coin, half again as large as a nib (1 dragon = 100 nibs)”

If the example is ³⁄₄″ square (1¹⁄₂ × ¹⁄₂″ nib), then the single-surface area is ∼⁴⁄₉ sq.in.

If the example is ⁹⁄₁₀″ square (1¹⁄₂ × ³⁄₅″ nib), then the single-surface area is ∼²⁄₃ sq.in.

If the example is 1¹⁄₈″ square (1¹⁄₂ × ³⁄₄″ nib), then the single-surface area is ∼1 sq.in. (Same as standard round D&D coin.)

Sun

“Platinum coin, twice as large as a nib (1 sun = 1,000 nibs)”

Harbor Moon

“Platinum crescent inset with electrum, about three inches long with a hole large enough for a nib to fit in (1 harbor moon = 5,000 nibs)”

If the example is 3″ wide, then it’s 2½″ tall, with tips 2.2″ apart, a ¼″ square hole, and single-surface area of ∼4.5 sq.in.

Standard D&D coins

A standard [d20] coin weighs about a third of an ounce, so fifty coins weigh a pound.

Coin	cp	sp	ep	gp	pp
Copper (cp)	1	‌1⁄10	‌1⁄50	‌1⁄100	‌1⁄1000
Silver (sp)	10	1	‌1⁄5	‌1⁄10	‌1⁄100
Electrum (ep)	50	5	1	‌1⁄2	‌1⁄20
Gold (gp)	100	10	2	1	‌1⁄10
Platinum (pp)	1000	100	20	10	1

Background

Original D&D—“Basic” through Rules Cyclopedia—coins have an encumbrance of ∼‌¹⁄₁₀ pound each.

More specifically, encumbrance (enc.) is a combination of the weight and clumsiness of gear measured in coin-weight equivalents (cn), where 1 𝖼𝗇 equals approximately ‌¹⁄₁₀ of a pound in weight and awkwardness. For example, a ‌¹⁄₂ lb wineskin filled with a quart of water/wine (∼ 2 lb), would only weigh ∼ 25 𝖼𝗇, but has a total enc. of 30 𝖼𝗇.

US coinage

1792 Apr. 2 – An Act establishing a Mint, and regulating the Coins of the United States.^{LoC Ws Archive}

Den.	Coin	Pure weight		Fine weight
10.00	eagle	247 4⁄8	grains pure or	270	grains standard gold
5.00	half eagle	123 6⁄8	grains pure or	135	grains standard gold
2.50	quarter eagle	61 7⁄8	grains pure or	67 4⁄8	grains standard gold
1.00	dollar	371 4⁄16	grains pure or	416	grains standard silver
0.50	half dollar	185 10⁄16	grains pure or	208	grains standard silver
0.25	quarter dollar	92 13⁄16	grains pure or	104	grains standard silver
0.10	disme	37 2⁄16	grains pure or	41 3⁄5	grains standard silver
0.05	half disme	18 9⁄16	grains pure or	20 4⁄5	grains standard silver
0.01	cent	11	pennyweights	264	grains of copper
.005	half cent	5 1⁄2	pennyweights	132	grains of copper

§10: Designs

§11: Proportional value of pure gold to pure silver: 15:1

§12: Standard gold for US coins: ‌¹¹⁄₁₂ fine gold, ‌¹⁄₁₂ silver & copper. (=22 karat)

§13: Standard silver for US coins: ‌¹⁴⁸⁵⁄₁₆₆₄ fine silver, ‌¹⁷⁹⁄₁₆₆₄ copper. (≈892.428 fine)

1793 Jan. 14 – An Act to amend… “An act establishing a Mint…,” so far as respects the coinage of copper.^Ws

0.01	cent	208	grains of copper (8 2⁄3 dwt.)
.005	half cent	104	grains of copper (4 1⁄3 dwt.)

1793 Feb. 9 – “An Act regulating foreign Coins, and for other purposes.”^Ws

Notes that the Mint is not yet in operation.

1794 Mar. 3 – An Act in alteration of the act establishing a Mint….^Ws

1795 Mar. 3 – (ch.47) – An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act establishing a Mint….”^Ws

§8: President may reduce weight of copper coins, but not by more than 2 dwt. in each cent.

1796 May 27 – (ch.33) – An Act respecting the Mint.

1800 Apr. 24 – (ch.34) – An Act respecting the mint

1801 Mar. 3 – (ch.21) – An Act concerning the mint^Ws

1818 Jan. 14 – (ch.4) – An Act to prolong the continuance of the mint at Philadelphia

1823 Mar. 3 – (ch.42) – An Act further to prolong the continuance of the mint at Philadelphia

1828 May 19 – (ch.67) – An Act to continue the mint at the city of Philadelphia, and for other purposes

1834 June 28 – (ch.95) – An Act concerning the gold coins of the United States, and for other purposes^SLF

$10.00 eagle – 232 grains pure or 258 grains standard gold (=‌¹¹⁶⁄₁₂₉ fine, ≈899.225 fine)

$ 5.00 half eagle – 116 grains pure or 129 grains standard gold

$ 2.50 quarter eagle – 58 grains pure or 64 ¹⁄₂ grains standard gold

1835 Mar. 3 – (ch.37) – An Act to establish branches of the mint of the United States

1837 Jan. 18 – (ch.3) – An Act supplementary to “An Act establishing a Mint…”

1837 Jan. 18 – (ch.3 §8–10) – An Act supplementary to “An Act establishing a Mint…”

1837 Feb. 13 – (ch.14) – An Act to amend “An act to establish branches of the mint of the United States”

1843 Feb. 27 – (ch.46) – An Act amendatory of an act establishing the branch mint at Danlonega, Georgia, and defining the duties of the assayer and coiner

1849 Mar. 3 – () – Coinage Act of 1849.^SLF

$20.00 double eagle – 464 grain pure or 516 grain standard gold

$ 1.00 gold dollar – 23 ¹⁄₅ grain pure or 25 ⁴⁄₅ grain standard gold

1857 Feb. 21 – () – Coinage Act of 1857.^LoC

$ 0.01 cent – 72 grains (3 dwt.), 88% copper and 12% nickel (aka NS12)

$ .005 half cent – coinage ceased

1864 Apr. 22 – () – Coinage Act of 1864.^LoC

$ 0.01 cent – 48 grains (2 dwt.), 95% copper and 5% tin & zinc

$ 0.02 two-cent – 96 grains (4 dwt.), 95% copper and 5% tin & zinc

1865 Mar. 8 – () – Coinage Act of 1865.^LoC

$ 0.03 three-cent – 30 grains, ≥ 75% copper and ≤ 25% nickel.

Cent and two-cent only legal for amounts ≤ four cents.

“In God We Trust” may be added to coins

1873 – () – Coinage Act of

1965 – () – Coinage Act of