>
<Snip>
> However, most folk in Dragon Pass probably don't use
> currency and rely
> on bartering or on measured weights of silver. The
> flood of Imperial
> lunars that has followed in the wake of the Lunar
> occupation means that
> the lunar is probably by far the most commonly
> encountered coin.
Excellent research on this, thank you! I'd also like to add that when an economy changes from barter to cash (which is bound to happen in the wake of the introduction of large numbers of lunar coins sincs the invasion) a great many social changes tend to occur. It would be interesting to see this addressed: how are barter-based Heortlings adapting to a system that allows for the storage of a great deal of wealth? Usually, power shifts towards traders and craftsmen in these situations, because they can take advantage of the surplus value of their enterprises better if they can hoard cash. You might also see a weakening of the role of farmers, who have a harder time ramping up production, and of chiefs whose status generally rests on non-cash wealth (valuing instead such things as prestige, clan size, number of thanes, etc.)
Also, I'm no expert on this changeover: maybe someone better versed in historical economics could school us on this.
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