Shield space 5 of many

The Economy
Money makes the world go around and it is no different on Shield.  Money is
expressed in coinage, as it is far cheaper to mint long term as it lasts
longer than paper.  As well, coinage can have an intrinsic value based on
what it is made from.  All coins are intricately engraved with the likeness
of Shield on the back.  Shield coinage is based on metal values as follows:

*************Table does not come across well here***************

* In all cases, Shield coinage is specifically alloyed for color and weight
and intricately engraved to deter counterfeiting.  Many merchants use
scrapers and scales to verify authenticity.

** Mithril is titanium and is somewhat rare.  Its properties both physical
and magical put it in high demand.

By adding Mithril to an item to be enchanted, the time and energy required
to create the enchantment is reduced and the enchantment will be of a better
quality.  As well, adding Mithril to objects such as weapons will allow them
to be lighter, stronger and able to hold an edge longer.
Fun fact: Titanium 6.6.2 alloy (86% titanium, 6% aluminium, 6% vanadium, 2%
tin) has a tensile strength of up to 180,000 PSI and a Brinell hardness
value of 389 and weighs about 60% of steel.

*** Adamante is a very special metal indeed.  It is lighter and harder than
anything and is the easiest of all metals to enchant.  It is very hard to
physically work with, being such a resilient material, as well as having a
very high melting point and cooling very fast.  Adamante will add the same
benefits to enchanted or manufactured objects as Mithril and those benefits
are even greater.  Adamante is quite rare and is never found in any large
quantity.  Almost all Adamante to date as been found in the Grinder.
Adamante weighs about 40% of steel, has a tensile strength of up to 300,000
PSI and a Brinell hardness of 600

Fun Fact:  Gold is 19.3 times the weight of an equal volume of water.

Fun Fact:   US Coins: Sec. 5112. - Denominations, specifications, and design
of coins
(a) The Secretary of the Treasury may mint and issue only the following
coins:
(1) a dollar coin that is 1.043 inches in diameter.
(2)a half dollar coin that is 1.205 inches in diameter and weighs 11.34
grams.
(3) a quarter dollar coin that is 0.955 inch in diameter and weighs 5.67
grams.
(4) a dime coin that is 0.705 inch in diameter and weighs 2.268 grams.
(5) a 5-cent coin that is 0.835 inch in diameter and weighs 5 grams.
(6) except as provided under subsection (c) of this section, a one-cent coin
that is 0.75 inch in diameter and weighs 3.11 grams.
(7) A fifty dollar gold coin that is 32.7 millimetres in diameter, weighs
33.931 grams, and contains one troy ounce of fine gold.
(8)A twenty-five dollar gold coin that is 27.0 millimetres in diameter,
weighs 16.966 grams, and contains one-half troy ounce of fine gold.
(9) A ten dollar gold coin that is 22.0 millimetres in diameter, weighs
8.483 grams, and contains one-fourth troy ounce of fine gold.
(10) A five dollar gold coin that is 16.5 millimetres in diameter, weighs
3.393 grams, and contains one-tenth troy ounce of fine gold.


As a general rule a GP or Gold Piece is equivalent to about $100 dollars
here and now within this framework.  Non-manufactured goods such as food
cost about the same, or less.  A quart of milk is about a dollar or CP
(Copper Piece) the same can be said of hired labour, rent, hotels,
restaurants etc.

 Materials such as wood are cheaper than today with availability of hardwood
being high costing perhaps 10% more then softwood.

Paper is about 10 times more expensive at about 10 sheets to a CP or more.
Items crafted out of natural materials such as wood or stone are also about
the same price you would expect to pay today.  Where pricing goes up is
where items are made from iron, steel, plastic, cloth etc.

  As a rule, these items can cost 5 to 10 times more than you would expect
them to cost today.  Metals such as iron, brass, tin and the like cost about
10 times what they do currently.  A $2 CP cookie tin at Wal-Mart would cost
more like 2 SP.

 A pair of $3 brass door hinges would cost about 2 SP.  A pair of pliers
that would cost you $10 today could easily go for 2 GP+ (smelting and
transport costs more as does the fabrication) Alloying is more difficult
thus steel and other alloys cost even more.

Items such as a 2-slice toaster would cost 10+ GP.  Though to be fair, it
would be crafted to last a lifetime rather than a year or three.  As well,
high-quality metals such as tool steel would drive costs up even further.
Though as time goes on these costs are diminishing as Shields total volume
of steel production continues to rise.

The cost of magic spells is controlled via the magic user guild and the
guild sets costs based on common vs. specialized need.  Thus a continual
light spell can cost far more than it should, but its effects are long
lasting and people will pay for such as spell.

  Besides, the costs of running the magic guild are huge as it does so much
more than other guilds.  From providing training in magic to creating and
researching new spells and items to supplying the fleet with spare magic
users and running the Oracle.

 About 3500, less then 1% of the Human population are magic users, and of
these about 1000 are 1st to 3rd level, 2000 4th to 15th, 200 16th to 21st,
83 22nd to 30th and 35 above this level.  As such, the demand for powerful
magic is far higher than can be supplied.  Much of the trade in ships and
products is paid for in magic items and services.  Most mundane magic items
in circulation such as swords, shields, some armor, arrows, rings, wands,
scrolls etc are from off world.

Clerical spell costs and availability are mostly controlled by the
supplicant's ability to pay, the reason for the spell and other factors.  A
wounded person coming in off the street with no money would be healed while
a big game hunter asking for a spell to help him find his prey would be
refused outright or charged heavily.

 Unfortunately, it also costs money to run a church, which brings us to the
next way of extracting spending money from the masses, tithes.  Most all
religions expect their members to kick in from 1% to 10% or more of their
income.  About 7500 or 1.5% of the population are in communion with their
deity and can cast spells with the breakdown by level being much the same as
for mages.  Clerics supply some magic items and a fair number of potions but
invest much of their time and energy casting spells that have more of a
general effect on the population such as making crop yields higher,
strengthening buildings, teaching, etc.

The average low-end wage is about one SP (Silver piece or $10) per hour and
workdays tend to be 10 hours long.  Thus, people can make at least 1 GP a
day or 5 GP per week before taxes, yes taxes.  Taxes are on a flat scale at
10% of income.  Salaries are controlled rigidly by guilds that specify the
labour laws.  These guilds were put into place to control inflation, as
there are far more jobs available than people to fill them.  As well, guilds
are used to adjust wages to entice people to take jobs that are more
important to the authorities to have filled.  Skilled workers make far more
than unskilled workers.  A good welder can make 3, 4 or even 5 SP an hour
while a common labourer will make 5 CP an hour.

There are also guild dues to pay that range from 1% to 10% of one's salary.
These fees are used to pay for guild overhead and the school system.  People
are encouraged to learn a skill and often graduation bonuses are paid out
when the guild is trying to entice people to learn a specific vocation.
So, let us take a carpenter who has been on the job for a year.  He will
make about 10 GP a week -10% tax, -5% tithes and -2% guild fees.  That would
leave our carpenter with about 100 SP-17% or 83 SP ($830 a week) If you
assume 3 SP a day for food or 21 SP a week he's left with 62 SP minus his
rent.  An average place will cost about 10 SP per room per month.
Therefore, a 2-room apartment would be 5 SP per week leaving him with 57 SP
spending a week.  It is very possible for our carpenter to save 20 GP a
month and have 200 or more GP saved in a year. As well, most people have the
option of working more hours, days etc.  Our carpenter would have a fair set
of clothes would probably have a few appliances such as a toaster, griddle,
fridge, and a good lock.  However, he would have plenty of food, a decent
place to live and a great health plan.  How many of us can say the same?  A
welder who makes 5 SP an hour can save even more a year!

If you do not have any skills, it is tough to make a living as menial labour
is mostly done by Kobolds.  Kobolds are on average not too bright thus do
not seem to mind this kind of work and tend to be reliable as they are
working to support their tribe.  Kobolds are paid 2 SP or more a day plus
food for the most part.  Half they keep and half goes to the tribe.  Lodging
is not a major concern for a Kobold, as they like to sleep in communal
Kobold areas anyway; rare is the Kobold that keeps an apartment.  For large
projects Kobolds can be had even cheaper depending on how many Kobolds are
about with nothing to do, what the project is etc. Kobolds are used as
miners, garbage disposal and other cleaning tasks, basic labour, farm hands
and for the slightly more affluent, servants.  Rarely are they used for
guards or security functions unless many will be assigned to the task.  In
Rockport alone there are over 100,000 Kobolds about at any one time versus
350,000 Humans, 40,000 half-Elves and about 20,000 or so transients.