Please stop stating your opinions as fact. You obviously do not understand how the system of currency works. Money is based on the barter system. As in the barter system, it is not at a constant value with what you can trade it for. Gold is no exception. Gold in not a constant in our own system, as its value goes up and down. This makes the money worth more and less. The fact that gold is the base of today’s system makes no difference. Money based on a variable base stock will go up and down, and does. There is NO stock in existence that has a set and unchanging value.
Despite what you -think-, salt was used extensively as a base of economies in ancient, and not so ancient times. It is used TO THIS DAY as the base of currency in some African countries, and even used as money itself. Gold, silver, and copper may have been the metal of choice for making higher valued coins eventually, but their actual -worth- was originally BASED on salt.
Marco Polo writes about salt as if it were a treasure as precious as gold.... "KAIN-du is a Chinese pro vince...where the money or currency they make use of, is thus prepared: their gold is formed into small rods and being cut to certain lengths , passes according to its weight without any stamp......This is their greater money. The smaller [money] is of the following description...".in this country there are salt springs from which they manufacture salt by boiling it in small pans. When the water has boiled for an hour it becomes a kind of paste which is formed into cakes of the value of twopence each. These, flat on the lower, and convex on the upper side, are placed upon hot tiles near a fire in order to dry and harden. On these latter species of money , the stamp of the Grand Khan is impressed, and cannot be impressed by any other than its own officers. When these are carried to little frequented parts they obtain a 'saggio' of gold for sixty, fifty or even forty salt cakes....the further removed from the towns....."
The early Romans used salt as money, (salarium = salt money or salt rations) though this practice was short lived.
In ancient times salt was so valuable that it was used for money. In fact our modern word salary is derived from it. The Latin word salarium means “salt money” and referred to the allowance of salt that was paid to Roman soldiers. Even today in some parts of the world salt is one of the most prized commodities.
Early trade routes and many of the first roads were established for transporting salt. Many ancient civilizations levied taxes on salt. Salt was considered so precious that it was traded ounce for ounce for gold. In ancient China, coins were made of salt. In the Mediterranean regions, salt cakes were used as money. Ancient cities such as Genoa, Pisa, and Venice became salt market centers.
The worth of Sodium Chloride, or "common salt", as it became known, as an exchanged value for other essential commodities, such as food, fuel, luxuries or slaves, has a yet to be determined, important role in state finances and in the origin of money.
Metal was not the only material used as a barter money. Salt was also frequently mentioned as an important, such commodity, particularly as a topic of fundamental personal consequence when related to individual income...
Once introduced and accepted, the weight of a coin , was confirmed by setting a stamp or a 'hallmark' [a salt mark ; 'hal' Greek: salt] upon every coin to relieve one from the trouble of check weighing it. The stamp impressed upon the coin, was an indication of quality and finally a guarantee of the value it represented. It was a similar concept, to the stamps impressed on salt cakes, and still used in this century, in central Africa as a means of payment . It initially related specifically to the coin's weight and probably to an equivalent weight of salt, rather than to its intrinsic value. Roman accounting began with copper coins, and gold was introduced only 100 years after the death of Alexander. Thus the choice of the material used only became a matter of availability and longetivity.
...in the Middle Ages they also minted coins which were issued for services done or goods delivered to the town for the purchase and sale of their salt. The coins were also chartered as legal currency for duty payments and tolls on the local roads, bridges and gates. They became known as the 'coins' of Halle or 'Heller' money , derived from an old German word for salt - 'Halle' . Because of its local purchasing power, this currency was highly rated in most German markets, although its value frequently changed according to supply and demand.
Although the historical links with the metal trade are clearly evident, salt has not been used as money in the sense that is generally accepted or understood today. Perhaps anlaysing the historical connection and its evolution would help us to appreciate the role of money in modern economies. Clearly the ability to monopolise the supply of salt compared with the other critical physiological necessaties of life eg; water to drink, air to breathe and proteins to eat, gave any party the authority to control this means of exchange
To break it down in simple terms a unit of money is worth nothing in itself until a governing body says it is worth a certain unit of something else. Even in medieval times, that second unit was often salt. Fact.
Do I say to make coins out of salt? No. You inferred that on your own. The gem system in use now is fine. But it should not be based on the value of gold. Gold is not rare in the least in PS, so makes a bad base for currency. It would be better, AND more unique in a game that touts itself on its uniqueness, if the unit money was based on was salt, or even square units of land. See this link:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/03/061303.aspAnd it is uncertain to me if the Circle is actually made out of gold. It is described as “golden”, not gold. Golden in this form may just indicate it’s color, not what it is made of. This is further supported by the description of the other coins.
The "Hexa" has a value of 10 Tria; it's made of another crystal mineral,
light blue in color, and has the shape of a hexagon. The
red "Octa" is worth 50 Tria, or 5 Hexa. The
golden "Circle" is worth 250 Tria, or 25 Hexa.
In face of how they are described, I am forced to assume the ‘golden’ circle is not made of gold, but an alloy like the others that happens to be gold in color. Not to mention that Silver coins are worth more than the Circle.
You want to argue with me, you had better bring more than your opinions to the table.
