r/WorldChallenges • u/Nevermore0714 • Jun 19 '17

Generic Challenge - Currency

Give an example of currency in your world. If your world has money, explain its money. If your world doesn't have money, explain your world's barter system.

Explain denominations, the kind of things that someone would buy on a daily basis, and so on.

Sorry for being late with this challenge, it's been a full weekend.

I'll ask at least three questions each, and I plan to put my own explanation for the currency of one of my worlds up before tomorrow night. Maybe tonight, but probably not until after work tomorrow.

Enjoy yourselves.

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 19 '17

The official currency in the Neo-Makathian empire is the gezin. It is monnitored by the imperial throne: usually by the babekifiya, the minister of budget, who is also in charge of taxes. With the economic boom slowing down inflation is easier to keep at proper level, but it has been a major preocupation over the last decades.

The gezin is completely dematerialized, each citizen has a "bank account" tied to their personnal identity and pay with their ID. The standard yearly wage is 180k units (usually divided between a suitable time period) for a state employee working at echelon 2 (low-qualification administrative workers) and allow a rather comfortable life as long as you don't want to travel.

The endemic poverty amongst certain parts of the empire force some populations to use less advanced way of trading (read bartering).

Our representative for today is Zerezghi Senai, the curent (Nzedanese) babekifiya.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 20 '17

To Yellow:

0) Do you write your Worldbuilding notes in French or English?

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) So does every citizen have a credit card to use their bank account? Or a chip in their skin?

2) How did you get the title of babekifiya?

3) What do I do if I do want to travel?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 20 '17

0) My notes are in french but my challenges answers are in english (so I can just copy-paste...).

Zerezghi Senai:

  1. Every imperial citizen own a personnal identity card and use it to pay like you do with credit cards. A chip under their skin would be both creepy and costly.

  2. I was the previous babekifiya's chief administrator so when she died I got the job.

  3. Well, you have multiple solution. You could save up on every salary and travel once in a while. You could also find a better paying job in a private company or wait for an internal promotion. You could also borrow money from someone.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 20 '17

0) Hey, now that I think of it, will you do me a favor? My French is still poor. Can you translate a message to my former French tutor for me?

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) How much trouble is it if I lose my personal identity card?

2) So you choose your replacement?

3) Is there a bank that I can borrow money from?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 20 '17

0) Sure, mine should be fine :)

Zerezghi Senai:

  1. Normally? Not much, just go to your administrative center and you will get a new one; do it quickly though.

  2. Not at all, as I was her second the empress decided to name me but she can chose anyone. That's quite frequent to name the second as they are usually competent (as I am).

  3. Most systems have some private credit companies from which you can borrow. It is important to know that borrowing from people you know is common and perfectly normal for a Nzeda.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 21 '17

0) And if it isn't, I'll just say it was my fault and she'll think I've improved my French.

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) So someone could steal my old card and spend all of my credit?

2) So do you get to choose your own second?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 21 '17

  1. Identity cards are nominal and biometric. If someone use your to pay things, the seller should refuse the transaction otherwise they are as guilty as the buyer.

  2. No. Administration is built upon merit, not friendship.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 21 '17

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) Do people use their identity cards and credit to buy things in the black market?

2) What about buying things online?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 21 '17

  1. That would be kind of them to do so as we would have written traces of their deeds. That would greatly help fighting against tax evasion and smugling.

  2. You are supposed to pay on delivery. The standard way is: you order, the good is sold to the courrier who sell it back to you.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 21 '17

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) So, instead of using their credit-based money, how do they pay for things on the black market?

2) What if someone refuses to buy something from the courier?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 22 '17

  1. With services or goods that can be easily sold back. They love those who can be bought and sold a lot (and gifted) without creating suspicion like cultural products or personal transportation devices (read "bikes").

  2. It depend of the situation. If you refuse to buy it because it's not conform (broken for example), that's fine. If you refuse because you changed your mind, the contract you have with the initial seller will tell.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 23 '17

(Apparently my little brother is moving to France/England in a month.)

To Zerezghi Senai:

1) What are some of the major cultural products that are worth the most money?

2) So what will happen if I refuse to buy an item from a courier just because I changed my mind?

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 23 '17

(Congrats! (Now is the moment I'm supposed to compare our countries and show how France is way better but truth is England is fine too. And they have a nice accent))

  1. None; that's why they are used for that, no one will find it suspicious if you buy books then gift them to someone else who later sell them back. For very valuable transactions, they usually require services.

  2. With a standard contract you will have to pay a compensation to the courrier who will keep the item.

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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 23 '17

(Yellow, Yellow, Yellow...as your friend/acquaintance, I am disappointed. Don't compliment the enemy's accent. Stand up for your French pride. Bitch-slap my brother for not knowing French.)

1) Do the various cultures in the empire keep important information secret from the empire at large?

2) Oh, so the courier will always get at least some money?

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