Denkmark
The Denkmark is the currency of the Gemeinde of Sober Thought and its symbol is the stroke-D or Ð.
Relative value
Although it floats freely against all other Nation States currencies within and without the International Democratic Union, it performs so badly that no sensible traveller or business person would bother taking the currency out of the country, except perhaps as a colourful memento which is cheaper than the postcard it could buy, or less charitably something to use after the last page of the Sears catalogue in the outhouse.
According to NS Economy, it fares little better against the US$, typically trading at several thousand dinky Denkmarks to the almighty Dollar.
Monetary policy
The Ministry of Community Prosperity sets monetary policy for Sober Thought. Given that the country's economic performance rarely exceeds Imploded, one quickly learns that -- whether for good or ill -- the General Director of Currency and Minister of Community Prosperity value domestic jobs over foreign investment in keeping with the country's centre-left tendencies.
Notes and coins
The Denkmark uses a recurring sequence of decimal fractions of 1s, 2s and 5s for both its high denomination currency notes and its low denomination coins.
All coins feature the Sober Thought owl on the obverse and the denomination in Arabic numerals on the reverse, with the names "SOBER THOUGHT" and "PENSÉE SOBRE" alternating positions around the outer ring of the obverse and reverse. Small denomination (Ð0.01, Ð0.02 and Ð0.05) coins are minted in a dark coloured base metal alloy resembling copper and have a diameter of 10 mm. Medium denomination (Ð0.10, Ð0.20 and Ð0.50) coins are minted in a light coloured base metal allow resembling silver and have a diameter of 12 mm.
Large denomination (Ð1 and Ð2) coins are minted in a bimetallic form with the faux silver forming an anulus 4 mm wide and the faux copper a centre circle with a diameter of 10 mm, and they are also twice the thickness of either the small or medium denomination coins. While a Ð5 coin does not yet exist, and Ð1 and Ð2 denominations circulate as both coins and notes, it seems likely that low denomination bills will be fully replaced by specie in the medium or long term.
Paper currency shares many features among its denominations, but like its metallic counterparts, it is divided into groups based on the recurring decimal fraction series. All notes issued by the government-operated Bank of Sober Thought / Banque de la Pensée sobre use tools or implements of some sort to represent the various sectors and sub-sectors of the economy.
Low denomination (Ð1, Ð2 and Ð5) bills use primary industry motifs representing fishing, farming and mining; medium (Ð10, Ð20 and Ð50) secondary industry representing food, construction and manufacturing; and high (Ð100, Ð200 and Ð500) the tertiary or services industry representing commerce, banking and clerical work. Should a thousand series be needed, the quarternary or government industry representing education, emergency services and bureaucracy would be employed. Should a ten thousand series be needed, it is certain that the low denomination bills would be long gone so their motifs for the extractive economy could be reused here.
