Cormish Gold Piece (CGP)
The Cormish Gold Piece is a unit of currency accepted in most parts of Faerun. It is the dominant currency through the Sea of Fallen Stars, the "gold standard" by which other currencies are measured.
The reasons for its success include:
- The longevity of the nation of Cormyr
- The recognizability of the royal figures imprinted on the currency, the long-lived Obarskyr dynasty
- The stability of the Cormish economy
- The military strength of Cormyr
- The massive reserves of rare and precious stones, particularly sapphires, owned by the Obarskyr family
- The excellent craftsmanship of the coins themselves
Though virtually all sovereign states mint their own coins, the following nations and city-states circulate a significant amount of Cormish currency:
- Sembia
- Tantras
- Raven's Bluff
- Impiltur
- Westgate
- Chondath
- Iriaebor
- Thesk
- The Great Dale
- Chessenta
- Thay
- Free Unther
Other competing currencies include:
- The Mulhorandi Pharaoh
- The Damaran Ruple (in the Moonsea, Dragon Reach, and Easting Reach)
- The Silver Marches Moon (in the Western Heartlands)
- The Waterdhavian Golden Dragon (in markets of the Sword Coast)
Denominations
There are five denominations of currency in the Kingdom of Cormyr. These are:
- Copper Thumb
- Also called "copper pieces", "copper pennies", "stars", or "nibs". The copper thumb is the lowest form of currency in Cormyr. One side is stamped with a six pointed star, the other with the rampant Purple Dragon. Ten (100) copper thumbs are worth one (1) silver falcon.
- Silver Falcon
- Also called "silver pieces" or "falcons". These small silver pieces are named after Faerlthann, known as the "Falcon", the first King of Cormyr. They are minted with his face on one side and his heraldry, the falcon avaunt and his motto in Old Thorass "Brave Deeds, Bold Swords" inscribed around the edge. Ten (10) silver falcons are worth one (1) golden lion.
- Golden Lion
- Also called "gold pieces", "lions", or "dragons". Not truly a solid gold piece, these coins are minted with a small disk of gold set in larger disk of silver. The inner gold disk is always minted with the current reigning "Lion of the Realm", the current king of Cormyr, for many years, Azoun IV Obarskyr. His face is minted here in profile (that of a bluffly handsome man with a strong nose and full, close cropped beard, head surmounted by a straight, simple circlet crown). The outer silver rim is inscribed with the names of the four Swords of State ("Ansrivarr, Symylazarr, Orblyn, and Rissar). The back face gold press is inscribed with a face on roaring male lion with full mane, while on the outer silver rim is written "Office of the Royal Exchequer" and the year of stamping expressed in Dales Reckoning (the Cormyrean Calender being rarely used except in state documents). Ten (10) golden lions are worth one (1) sovereign tricrown.
- Sovereign Tricrown
- Also called "sovereigns", "imperials", or "sovs". A solid, heavy coin of solid gold, the sovereign is rare currency outside of the use between mercantile houses and trading costers. On both sides it is stamped with the three royal crowns of Cormyr (The Dragon Crown, the Consort Crown, and the March Crown) arranged in a triangle (with the Dragon Crown on top). The edges are thick and heavily ridged. Ten (10) sovereign tricrowns are worth one (1) blue eye.
- Blue Eye
- Also known as "blues". If the sovereign tricrown is rare as a currency, use of the blue eyes in normal transactions is non-existent. The blue eye is flat blue sapphire (the size of a small wren's egg), embedded in a disk of solid gold. Upon the ring of gold is written in Old Thorass "The Eye of the Dragon" on both faces along with a small arcane mark of the senior war wizard who presumably supervised the striking and a numerical code spelling out the day, date, year, and batch number. These coins are produced by the Crown only as needed, and serve as a currency for large state transfers of wealth. It is rumored that each coin is enspelled by the Wizards of War and can be tracked wherever on Toril they are taken, a rumor that Vangerdahast has been distinctly reluctant to confirm or deny...
