Horizon Currency, according to The Book

Proposal for Revision
It stands to reason that Horizon has not gone decimal, and the $5-per-dram exchange rate seems on the low side. A $40-per-dram seems more plausible. Also, 5 navid per dram also seems a bit cheap, given navids seem intended as as much petty cash as anything.

Therefore, I propose this exchange rate - appx. dollar value included.

Value	Color	Image	Tass	worth (in drams)	US Dollar
1/4N	Bronze	Entropy	1/960	$.04
1/2N	Gold	Prime	1/480	≈$.08
1N	Blue	Mind	1/240	≈$.17
3N	White	Spirit	1/80	$.50
6N	Red	Forces	1/40	$1
12N	Deep blue	Matter	1/20	$2
20N	Green	Life	1/12	≈$3.33
60N	Violet	Correspondence	1/4	$10
120N	Black	Time	1/2	$20
240N	Pearlescent	Primi	1	$40

This makes for manageable coinage, somewhat relatable to modern currency.

Link below leads to a prettier setup.

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/2K2bxVzNpeQj

I really should try to collate a lot of this info in a single post...

But here's what the book on Horizon says about the navid and its value.

Thank you that is really useful.

But... we agreed the book blowed. Don't you remember, Great One?

The issue is that according to that book [and we accept the 1 dr = $40 exchange rate] Horizon does not have any coinage smaller than $4. This sucks, esp as we agreed before that the primary purpose of Navids was to provide 'small change'. Therefore, I propose instead;

Tass	Navid	USD
	1/2N	20c
	1N	40c
	3N	$1.20
	5N	$2
	9N	$3.60
	10N	$4
	30N	$12
	50N	$20
	90N	$36
1 dr	100N	$40

As discussed before, alternative forms of 'currency' also circulate to some extent. It's been argued [and I've been persuaded] that old-school silver/gold coinage still flows, so a ballpark figure is that a myriad of ~27g silver coinage still flows, with an 'accepted' value of 10N, while various gold coins also occasionally 'making the rounds' [for example, a British Sovereign would be worth 8 dr] which would be handy for large purchases. And there's always Tass.

I also suggest that Colin, perhaps prodded by the Chief bought a load of 'junk silver' coinage wholesale to provide the party with some spendable change.

Oh, Colin brought some silver, certainly, he just didn't lug that around to the prison.
Both junk silver and worked, all naturally mined. Worth a few craploads.

As for your maths, they seem a bit off, as the book explicitly suggests 1 navid to equal a dollar, meaning the smallest denomination is a half-dollar... and I specifically copied the book on this without further comment or adjustments.

That said, your devalued variant has merit, though given Horizon's slightly backwards nature, a 240 navids to a dram seems as likely as a decimal variant...

We could probably debate the "correct" exchange rate until the cows come home, which might be any time at all on Horizon. Don't know how much actual cattle there is there.

I say the book is stupid, that they did not understand currency.

I repeat; if we go with what the book says, the 'smallest' coin in circulation is $4. If we go with what the book says in regards to how much a dram of Tass is and the 5N=1dr ratio, the smallest coin is $40!

Tell me, how would you buy stuff if the smallest coin you had was 42 NKr? Purchases of small items [like a newspaper, or a loaf of bread] becomes difficult for me if the smallest British coin was £3.20. Let's not get started if the smallest coin was £32...

Anyway, I could see Nick buying some $40-$60 worth of silver coin off Colin for Horizon spending.

There's not much 'debate' to be really needed; what I have simply done is adjust the ratios and come up with a 'currency converstion chart' so it makes sense. Which I shall repeat, was in fact already agreed ages ago.

Just for reference, where did you get the $40 per dram exchange rate, again?

I am referencing the Horizon book, specifically, where 1 navid is a dollar, and five navids is a dram; don't recall seeing an exchange rate in the M20 book...

Great One agreed to it, last time we had this conversation. The Horizon book suggested $400 a dram, which I sucessfully argued was too much [makes junoir mages disinclined to use it for magick]. And Horizon is basically on the 'Tass Standard'.

It is also my go-to valuation in regards to magickal loot. I make a rough calculation how much Tass it would cost to make it [amongst other things].

Right.

I updated the table with a proposal for an alternative exchange rate, with slightly different values.

Give it a look-see, see if it makes sense?

Looked. It works as well as my suggestion does, which is that it's the 'small change' of Horizon. The PCs shall need to remember to simply to divide the Navid number by a ratio of 6.

It's also quite possible that there's a few 'unofficial' denominations floating about too; the silver 'trade dollars' mentioned above would be notionally a 24N coin, gold coins at 'Sovereign' size 8dr, ones at 'gold dollar' size at 2dr and so on.

Large items - I bet - are not quoted in Navids, but Tass. It's quite possible to see properties cited in ounces [$10,240] and general budgets noted in pounds [$163,840].

Ah yes well then just give me a list I can use for flavor and then that works for me Nicole.

Well, it's in the link, but what the hell - I'll copy the table into the top post.

Thank you that is helpful. Are we all in agreement for a conversion rate to use then?

Fine by me - but that didn't look pretty in the post.

EDIT: Prettified.

Sheet is fine.

I also assume old gold and silver coinage is also generally acceptable, partly out of habit?

Lastly, I assume the Chantry has at least given an advance on the Prize Money earned during 'last weekend' to the PCs? I've not finished working out the Labyrinth, but so far Serge/Colin netted $3,400 a piece and Nicole got $11,400.

I am guessing Colin was given a slightly smaller cash cut, as he did get Toby as spoils of war. Sort of.

I think the line is 'white elephant'.

Plus, you saying a whole Labyrinth is worth less than a decent used car?

Well, while Toby does have some costs associated, Colin does have the possibility of a revenue source there in renting space out.

Plus, he will enforce calling dibs on items of interest in there.

I am personally going to go on the theory that the Deacons have officially 'valued' the Labyrinth at zero, so Colin can claim it as his [and I think we can say he is the only one who actually 'wants' it]. The stuff within it, on the other hand... prize money rules apply. [Naturally, this is ultimately Great One's call].

Which is another reason OOC I think Steelhaven should get a professional Custos 'manager'. Amongst other things, they can take 'bookings' for access to the Labyrinth, charging the rental costs for space and so on. If nothing else, it would allow more easy handwaving of problems of a mundane nature.