Ayrwll Silver Crown
The Ayrwll Silver Crown has been an official currency of the nation of Ayrwll since the Federation was founded by the Pact of Ayrwll. At the time of this writing, one crown is worth $1.7712 .
It is significant in several ways: Firstly, it does not have paper form. ASC currency is physically represented in coins, and otherwise transferred electronically. Secondly, it has, for most of its history, been backed by air. This did not matter because the monetary value of each coin was (and is still) only slightly higher than the metal value, and any inflation would therefore be quickly caught by this "safety net" as people melt down the coins that are now less valuable than the materials they are made of.
The rise of electronic banking (and with it, the detachment of the value of "one crown" from the one-ounce silver disc stamped with the flag) has made it necessary for the republic's government to acquire some means of backing. Rather than attach this value to some metal or other raw material, they have simply bought up an immense basket of international currencies. However, the national reserve does include several hundred metric tons of Mithril, a noble metal similar to platinum, which can be mined only in very few nations, Ayrwll among them.
National Reserves
The ASC is backed by the following internationally accepted currencies, as well as several national currencies of prominent nations. Note that the bulk is spread equally between the CACE World Dollar and the WBO Menelmacari Credit for political reasons, as most nations recognize only one of the two. In keeping with its principle of neutrality, Ayrwll recognizes both.
- World Dollar 35%
- Menelmacari Credit 35%
- Sovereign 15%
- Hack Chit 5%
- 99% pure Mithril bullion 10%
Coinage
Please refer to the Ayrwllyan Units Guide for a more concise summary.
Since the value of the Ayrwll Silver Crown is frequently changing in relation to the dollar, the following values are in terms of ASC, not dollars. For a conversion, check Ayrwll's NSEconomy page.
Note that most names denoting values larger than the crown are fairly outdated, and one will have to travel far indeed to hear some old village grocer mutter "makes two mentin" rather than "ten crowns please". However, coins with these names imprinted on them are still used (Ayrwll has no paper money; they use electronic systems to handle larger transactions), they are just not called that.
- rhul: 1/144 ASC
Its name literally meaning "red", this coin is triangular, of a copper-iron mixture, and of a deep crimson tinge. It weighs 4 grains, and is stamped with the name "Rhul" on both sides.
- denar: 12 rhul, 1/12 ASC
Often erroneously thought to derive from the similar sounding Arabic term, this is actually Tharell in origin, derived from the number 10 ("den"). A denar was once 10 rhul, but it has long been changed to round off the numbers (Ayrwll counts in base-12).
The denar is a round nickel coin weighing about 5 grains. It is stamped with the name "Denar" on one side, and the image of a nogran tree on the other.
- perin: 6 denar, 1/2 ASC
"perinyan" means, literally, "half", derived from Quenya.
The perin, a square coin with a slight light reddish tinge, is made of a mixture of copper and silver, and weighs 7.5 grains. On one side is stamped the word "Perin", and on the other the face of an Ayrwllyan historically significant person.
- crown: 2 perin, 1 ASC
The crown is the "main coin" of Ayrwll, and to this day it is made of 80% silver (the rest usually being nickel). It also weighs exactly one ounce (as according to the Pact of Ayrwll).
A round coin, its front side is embossed with the words: "1 Ayrwllyan Mentercerman" (1 Ayrwllyan Silvercrown). It's back side is stamped with the national flag of Ayrwll (an infinity eight over a yin-yang symbol). Around the rim run the words: "An Coryn ar' Belantor" (Tharell: "For Peace and Balance").
- mentin: 5 crowns, 5 ASC
The mentin, translating to "moon", is a silver coin weighing close to 1.2 ounces. It is in the shape of a pentagon. Its front side is embossed with a crescent, and the back with a rough outline of the map of Ayrwll.
- ran: 5 mentin, 25 ASC
The ran, whose name means "sun", is a coin made of a ligature of silver and gold. It weighs 1.5 ounces (50g), and is hexagonal. The front side is stamped with the image of the sun, and the back with the image of former Empress Katya Daranin.
- elar: 4 ran, 100 ASC
A "star". This coin is made of gold, and weighs an ounce. The sides are stamped with the Rylenian elvish runes for "Peace" and "Balance" (one on each).
- lyr: 50 elar, 5000 ASC.
The lyr, finally, is a coin made out of pure mithril mined in the mountains of Angranakh. Impossibly rare, its name means "bright", and it weighs one lode - with a diameter of 2 knuckles and a thickness of two hairs, it deserves the name "medal" more than "coin". Even if it were not rare enough to have collector's value, it is the only coin whose metal value is negligibly lower than its mint value.
A reminder of the origin of Ayrwll, it is stamped with the sigil of the Tower of Carenath on the front, and the arcane Atharellian rune for "Balance" on the back. Around the rim run the words "Ocar Samaræa 'yan tildrinyen Atharellya sayi'm Ulayrende" (Ral: "From the Great Ocean to the Shores of Atharellia we have come").
The crown (abbreviated C) is divided into 144 rhul (abbreviated cc). One and a half crowns are therefore one crown and 72 rhul, or 1,60 (Ayrwll uses base-12). In international deals, all values will be given solely in decimal amounts of crowns.
