[Glorantha] Re: use of coin in Sartar

[Stephen Tempest]

Nic Hughes <nicolas.h at virgin.net> writes:

>Sartar in particular looks like a place where currency would have 
>percolated down far enough that most households would have some reserve 
>of coin and most people would at least have seen money, although I would 
>think that outside the towns only thanes, travellers and the heads of 
>households  would deal with money with any regularity at all. I cannot 
>recall any mention of mints in Sartar but I personally think there would 
>be a mint in each of the cities Sartar founded, probably managed by the 
>trade ring and closely watched by the associated tribes. 

That's pretty much how I see it.  Sartar is quite advanced for an
Orlanthi culture - presumably in the 2nd Age it was even more so -
though I doubt they use much coinage in Ralios or Wenelia.

Storm Tribe mentions that coinage was invented by Garzeen
Silvertongue, son of Issaries, who is the "patron of intermediaries,
factors and shopkeepers who ply their trade in towns and cities."

The same book also mentions that 'large urban centres or locations
where major trade routes meet' are frequently the home base of a
'large trade ring which acts as a merchant guild.'...and in RuneQuest,
the standard Sartarite silver coin was called a 'Guilder'.  So it
seems likely that there is indeed a mint at each of Sartar's cities,
under the supervision of Issaries Garzeen.

Finally, on another note. 'King of Sartar' includes among Sartar's
miracles that he 'performed magic of trading script notes for gold
with the Feathered Horse Queen'... so maybe the Kingdom of Sartar has
actually progressed to paper money and a bonds market? <g>

Stephen