Editing Tyche's Favourites/Chargen (section)

==Coins and Money (p39)==

All economies are based on the silver standard. Halve all values quoted (or alternatively multiply all quoted gold piece values by 5) to arrive at a roughly accurate value in silver drachmae for all goods, services and living costs.

In ancient Greece, these were the main currencies:<br>
8 chalkoi = 1 obolus<br>
6 oboloi = 1 drachma<br>
100 drachmae = 1 mina (or mnai)<br>
60 minae = 1 Athenian Talent<br>

1 Athenian talent is about 60lb of silver. In ACKS, there are 100 coins per pound, so 1 Athenian talent is 6000 coins. There are (100 x 60) 6,000 drachma per Athenian talent. Gold is worth ten times as much as silver (it was as much as 27 times as much, but the glut of Persian gold in the market has devalued it).

The only gold coins in wide circulation at this time are Persian gold darics, which are about four times the size of a silver drachma. Thus each one is worth 40 drachmae. Gold staters are twice the size of a silver drachma (thus are worth 20 each), and are beginning to be minted.


'''Standard of living – Income and investments'''

Assume that any investment of a lump sum generates on average a 3% monthly return. This assumes something relatively low risk like land, providing a steady stream of rents and a share of harvests. For riskier investments random return is d10%-d4%.


''Design note: Conversion of money to the silver standard and period-appropriate coinage, based on discussion with Alex Macris.''