The bustling coastal trade city of Algorand’s Crossing, a key hub along the The Alprenia Sea, uses a standardized system of coinage recognized throughout The Moonshade Expanse. Though minted in Dawnwatch Keep, the city’s administrative heart, these coins have spread to merchants, sailors, and traders across the region. Each coin bears distinctive engravings reflecting the city’s maritime legacy, noble lineage, and the forces that shaped its prosperity.
All coins share the following characteristics:
Shape: Circular, slightly thicker than most standard currency for durability.
Material: A mix of locally sourced and imported metals, refined by the Guild of Metallurgists in Algorand’s Crossing.
Edge Detailing: Small ridges on the edges to prevent clipping or forgery.
Weight: Consistent with other standard coinage, ensuring fair trade with neighboring cities.
Appearance: Smallest of the coins, slightly rough in texture due to its high copper content. Its color darkens over time, giving old coins a distinctive green patina.
Obverse: A carved image of a fishing boat, representing the city's origins as a humble fishing settlement.
Reverse: The emblem of Dawnwatch Keep, with a watchtower overlooking the sea.
History: The Dock-Penny is the most common coin in the city, often used by laborers, dock workers, and street merchants. It gets its name from the practice of paying dockhands in handfuls of pennies for loading and unloading goods.
Appearance: A slightly larger and shinier coin, often polished by merchants to maintain its luster. Made of refined silver, with a smooth texture.
Obverse: A detailed profile of Lord Alden Gossard, the founder of Algorand’s Crossing, wearing a merchant’s circlet to symbolize prosperity.
Reverse: A coiled sea serpent wrapped around an anchor, symbolizing the city's naval strength and the dangers of the Alprenia Sea.
History: The "Gossard Mark" is the backbone of commerce, used for larger transactions and wages. It is named in honor of the Gossard family, the ruling lineage of the city.
Appearance: A gold-and-silver alloy gives this coin a pale, almost ghostly sheen, reflecting the moonlight eerily at night. It is hexagonal rather than round, setting it apart from other denominations.
Obverse: A bear paw representing the wilds of Wyrmhollow Wood.
Reverse: The harbor of Algorand’s Crossing.
History: Electrum is rarer and harder to refine, making the Tidepiece less common but valued among scholars and artisans. Some believe these coins bring good luck to seafarers, and it is a tradition for captains to carry at least one when setting sail.
Appearance: A rich golden hue, carefully stamped to ensure uniform thickness and weight. Its edges are subtly engraved with a repeating pattern of sunbursts.
Obverse: A detailed engraving of Algorand the Wayfarer, the legendary explorer who first mapped the region and established trade routes that led to the city's founding. He is depicted standing at the bow of a ship, one hand shielding his eyes as he gazes toward the horizon.
Reverse: A radiant sunburst over a scepter and laurel wreath, symbolizing authority, leadership, and the city’s rise to power.
History: The Dawn-Crown is the preferred currency for wealthy merchants, nobles, and seasoned captains. It is named for Dawnwatch Keep, where the city’s leadership resides, and is a reminder of the first light that guides ships safely to harbor.
Appearance: The rarest and most valuable of Algorand’s coins, platinum is exceedingly difficult to mint, making these coins treasured symbols of wealth. They are larger than other coins, but thinner, with a reflective sheen.
Obverse: A griffon in mid-flight, representing the ambition and independence of Algorand’s people.
Reverse: A band of stars above a town, marking Algorand’s status as a city of great influence within the The Moonshade Expanse.
History: Known as the King’s Favor, this coin is said to have been introduced when an old monarch forgave the city’s debts in exchange for naval support during a war. Since then, it has been used in high-stakes trade, land purchases, and diplomatic exchanges. It is almost never seen in everyday commerce.