Dowland

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Skinnian Dowland (D)
viet_nam.jpg
Subdivision 1 Dowland = 100 Pennies
Exchange Rate to USD NS Dollar ($) = $1.7696
In use since 1701
Currency Code D
Symbol (D)

The Dowland (D) is the official currency of Skinny87. It has always been the main currency in circulation throughout Skinny87, and is so named after the distinctive creature seen throughout Skinny87's northern countryside, the Lesser-Spotted Dowland Eagle. The Dowland is made of a typical nickel-brass alloy, and pennies, the sub-currency, of copper. Each class of Dowland, be it on note form or the rarer coin form, is struck with a specialised commerative picture commerating a certain period in the history of Skinny87. One Dowland is worth around $1.75 USD. A specialised form of the Dowland, used exclusively in the colonies of the nation, is known as the Colonial Dowland (CD), and is kept at an artificial high exchange rate to ensure economic inferiority from the colonies. The Colonial Dowland has only one picture, an outline of that colony's borders and national geography. Dowlands from Nerotika have become extremely rare due to the fact that only a small number were printed and struck before withdrawal from Nerotika itself. There are only a few known examples of this Dowland left, and all are either in private collections or the Museum of Currency in Dowland City.

Denominations & Descriptions
Unit (GG) Obverse Reverse
Dowland Currency (D)
1 Dowland Skinny87 Stylised picture of Skinny87, represented as an Eagle
5 Dowlands President Xavier Martin The Old Grey House
10 Dowlands Frank Bowers Dowland City
20 Dowlands Trapper Hagen City Overview of New Kaylee
50 Dowlands Hank Garland City overview of Little Sicily
100 Dowlands General Horatio City overview of Packard City
250 Dowlands n/a; signature stamp of Master Banker n/a; date stamp
500 Dowlands n/a; signature stamp of Master Banker n/a; date stamp
1,000 Dowlands n/a; signature of Master Banker n/a; date stamp
10,000 Dowlands n/a; signature of Master Banker n/a; date stamp
Colonial Dowland Indivdual representation of each colony's borders n/a; date stamp (limited print run)

History

The history of the Dowland is long and often complex. Before the historical independence of Skinny87 as a sovereign nation from Questarian control, the currency of Questers was used as the currency of the country, known as Jesseltown before independence. With the abandonment of Jesseltown by Questers sometime in the early 18th Century, many wished for all links to Questers, however tenuous, to be destroyed or significantly changed. Entire cities and towns were renamed, books burnt and rewritten and Questarian officials either killed or forced to abandon the country.

With the renaming of Jessel to Dowland City, it was decided that the current currency of the nation was far too reminiscent of Questerian control. As such the currency, the name of which has, oddly enough, yet to be discovered, was officially changed to the Independence Piece, with each county of the nation being allowed to add their county name after 'Independence Piece' and to set their own rate of exchange and vaule in comparison to goods, gold, silver and any other currencies. This, however, led to a number of counties setting abnormally high rates to try and gain economic independence, as well as gouge prices.

After several conflicts between counties and several vaguely mentioned civil wars, the leaders of the remaining counties met in Jessel to come to terms with their newly united nation. To avoid breakdowns in tense negotiations, it was apparently decided to name the ccommon currency of the nation first, to createb economic standardisation. After much negotiation and bargaining, the name Dowland was decided upon, and has been the official currency of Skinny87 and her provinces ever since. Paper money came into circulation in the mid-19th Century and has gradually replaced the need for most coins over the denomination of 1 Dowland. Very few Independence Pieces remain in circulation; those that do exist are either in federal museums or in private collections. It is rumoured that Alexander I is a keen collector of these antique coins.

Economic Policy Regarding Currency

The Dowland is the official currency of the Grand Monarchy and all the territories controlled by it; as such, the Dowland can legitimately be used to pay off all loans and debts, be they public or private in nature. Economic policy set by the government, currently the Lib-Lab Pact after the Civil War, allows the currency to be floated freely in the international economic market, primarily due to the belief of the party that a free-floating currency will do more to aid and revitalise the still-recovering economy of the country than a protectionist policy favoured by the Neo-Conservative and Isolationist Now! parties in Parliament.

The Mainland Bank, the major banking organisation in Skinny87, regulates the currency and all operations to do with it, including interest rates, exchange rates and other regulatory issues. The Director of Banking is in direct control of the organisation, and officially the bank is still a free and independent entity as it was before the Civil War. However, there is an 'understanding' between the Director and the King himself that the Bank will do nothing to endanger the economy, not trade or bank with those nations the Grand Monarchy lists as enemies of the state, and that the government has powers over the actions of the banking industry - all major policy decisions, such as interest rates and exchange rates, as well as major trade deals, must be first discussed with the Kings Representative that sits on the Banks Board. The Representative represents both the Monarch and the government, and can order the Director to forcibly end contracts, trade deals and change major policies that the government find not to be in their interest, as well as arrange those that the government does.

Denominations

Dowland

The Dowland comes officially in these denominations:

  • 1
  • 5
  • 10
  • 20
  • 50
  • 100
  • 250
  • 500
  • 1,000
  • 10,000

Each Dowland carries a different symbol or picture upon one side of the piece of currency, be it a coin or banknote; these images/symbols are noted in the list above. On the reverse of each coin, however, is printed the same set of details. A Greater Spotted Eagle, wings extended as if to attack, under which the words Legal Currency of the Bank of Skinny87 are engraved and the signature of the current Master Banker are added at the bottom of the coin and the national motto runs around the circumference of the coin. On notes, which are of course larger, the same details apply, with the Greater Spotted Eagle taking pride of place, printed in full colour. On notes of value larger than 50D, a minature portrait of the Monarch, Alexander I is present to the left of the Greater Spotted Eagle.

Colonial Dowland

The Colonial Dowland comes in the following denominations:

  • 1
  • 5
  • 10
  • 20
  • 50
  • 100
  • 500

The Colonial Dowland (CD) is kept at an artifical rate of 10.5 CD to 1 D to ensure economic superiority for the mainland. For the same reason, the highest denomination is only 500 CD. There are also no Colonial Dowlands in coinage form; all are paper-based, to ensure further economic superiority. The interest rates set by the Mainland Bank are kept low to ensure little economic prosperity by the Colonies and no interest in the CD being bought up by investors. At the same time, interest rates are kept at a high by the banks and government of Skinny87 itself to make sure that this trend of inferiority continues. The exchange rate is kept at an artificial high of around $1 = 0.01 CD and the interest rate at 6%.

Exchange Rates

Standard Exchange Rate:

  • US Dollar ($) = 1 Dowland = $1.7696
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