Dharrenal Currency

Long ago, each country in Dharrenal minted their own national coins. Each were of differing sizes and worth, and merchants would constantly need to exchange coins while traveling. This was, obviously, not ideal.

Temples dedicated to the Lady of Coin functioned as banks, but they did little to solve the issue. So, a group of dwarves from Kal-Khazad gathered together six hundred years ago and founded an institution known as the Iron Bank--a secular bank with no national affiliation.

Working with the various nations of Dharrenal, primarily the Ozmit Empire, the Iron Bank standardized coin sizes and values and today they even mint their own coins. Because of their extensive efforts, all of the countries in the Glorious Domains, in addition to all Dwarven settlements, now follow what is called the "Iron Standard".

The Iron Standard

 * Falcons / Copper Pieces: These small copper coins are the least valuable, and physically the smallest coin. One side of the coin is branded with a falcon, hence the name. Also called bits, groats, or thumbs. There are ten coppers in one silver piece, and one hundred coppers in one gold piece.
 * Stags / Silver Pieces: These silver coins are about the size of a real-world half-dollar. They are the most common coin in circulation, used by both common folk and merchants. One side is branded with the image of a stag. Also called bucks, farthings, or ten-bits. There are ten silver pieces in a gold piece. One stag is about a common days' wage.
 * Ducat / Electrum Piece: These rare coins were once widely circulated as the primary currency of the Ozmit Empire. The Ducat is made of a mix of silver and gold, and have a very slight blue sheen. Two ducat are worth one gold piece. While electrum pieces are not produced by the Iron Bank, their prevalence pre-Iron Bank means that they are still widely accepted across Dharrenal.
 * Lions / Gold Pieces: These gold coins are larger than a silver piece, but not much heavier. They are also quite common, but only among merchants, adventurers, some nobles, and the like; commoners very rarely own gold pieces, let alone use them in their everyday life. One side is branded with the image of a roaring lion. Also called cats, gulden or crowns. There are ten gold pieces in one platinum piece.
 * Dragons / Platinum Pieces: These coins are about twice the size and weight of the cold coin. They are the rarest coin, used primarily by nobility for large purchases. Commoners never use them, and even merchants very rarely use them in practice. One side is branded with the image of a red dragon. They are also called Drakes, Denar or Floren.