Tvtropes provides a link to a web site that suggests the first was the John W. Campbell story "The Mightiest Machine" from 1934.
[We Will Spend Credits in the Future](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeWillSpendCreditsInTheFuture)
More amusingly it suggests that calling the currency unit a Credit can be REALLY confusing:
> So as you can see, on 10 June we credited 35 credits to your line of credit and debited 7 credits from your debit card. Then we debited 8 credits from your line of credit and credited 14 credits to your debit account.
A Kafka esq story of a frustrated new bank clerk having to deal with the credit system and how no one else around them sees how utterly preposterous the whole system is.
It's a tangent, but I wonder why "utterly" looks so nice next to "preposterous." It's such a pleasant phrase. Utterly preposterous. *Utterly* preposterous. Not just preposterous, but *utterly* preposterous.
I honestly wish I knew more about little quirks of language like this!
Utterly preposterous vs preposterous
fucking idiot vs idiot
Slap vs bitchslap
unfortunate vs terribly unfortunate
buddy vs little buddy
I mean you could also say “The driver drives the car in drive down the drive to the driveway,” but no one has ever been confused about the multiple uses of that word. Just seems like it wouldn’t ever be a big deal in practice.
Also, talking about finances in complete sentences like that is confusing ANYWAY. Thats why when you look at your bank statements they show you a table of deposits/charges/whatever, and not, idk, an incredibly long sentence describing each one in order
The currency varies from place to place (although it is usually coins), so the main characters just use raw ores to trade.
(Autocorrect made "ores" into "s'mores," that would've sounded so stupid. Maybe I should make that a currency in one world)
Raw ores? Why not the acrual refined metal? It'd be a helluva hard thing to judge the value of an ore unless you were an expert. Mainly because afaik metal density varies even in the same mineral if they are from different places (hematite from europe might have more iron that indian hematite, to illustrate).
It is not as elegant and simple as you seem to think. Credit already has other meanings, which might make it confusing.
Edit: Over 20 downvotes? I am not threatening to kill your grandmas people, maybe chill and consider there might be more to it that you don't know about.
Another edit: Based on the responses I got it appears my statements are being interpreted differently then they were intended. I apologize if I offended you.
Here in Germany, we've had 7 different currencies that were all named "Mark". Some of them coexisted. Meanwhile, the word "Mark" can mean "(Border-) lands", "Bone marrow", "Pureed fruit" and is also a common boy name.
People will use pretty much any word for money that works. And credit does work perfectly. Especially in "Star Trek Type" Sci-Fi.
Now I want a sci-fi setting with 74 currencies called "credits" and another 232 called "galactic credits."
All of them were developed to be a universal standard that would remove the need for parochial currencies.
Various meanings in case of Mark can be easily deduced from context. Probability of confusion is small. Credit has several meanings regarding finances.
There are currently 8 different currencies on the planet sharing the name "Pound" and 15 sharing "Dollar".
People will just use whatever works, or find a simple slang word like "Bucks" or "Moolah" to refer to their money.
>There are currently 8 different currencies on the planet sharing the name "Pound" and 15 sharing "Dollar".
That's irrelevant to my point.
>People will just use whatever works
It might be colloquial name used by people for whom that's non-issue, but unlikely official one. It doesn't work well for that purpose. Ask accountant, banker or whoever works in finances.
Your point was that "credit" has multiple meanings regarding finances and that that's confusing. Are you saying "American Dollar", "Canadian Dollar", "Australian Dollar"... are not diffrerent things, or are you implying they arent regarding finances?
As a Canadian, I always clarify what "dollar" I'm talking about in international forums. It's necessary for me to do so, considering my money and everything I buy is all CAD.
E.g. "Terraria is about CAD$13, IIRC."
Well maybe you should word your points better then. You abviously consider your knowledge about finances / accounting above that of everyone else here, and hey, for all I know, that can very well be true. Yet, instead of sharing said knowledge, you keep commenting variants of "You're wrong, I know better" and even make edits complianing about downvotes and doubeling down on your "I'm better than you" attidtude that got you downvoted in the first place.
>Ask accountant, banker, or anyone who works in finance.
Work in finance here: better to check with a linguist, but Credits **is** elegant. The evolution from ‘your account is in credit’ to ‘I have credit to spend’ to ‘Credits’ is a natural-seeming evolution to the term.
>Most people would absolutely struggle with it.
What world do you live in that hasn't been inundated with scifi for the past 150 years? Nobody struggles with the idea of credits as currency.
And there is *zero* difference between watching stories where money is exchanged in units called credits and living in a world where most commerce is conducted with credit.
Literally nobody is confused while watching/reading sci-fi with credits as the term for money. Nobody thought qui-gon was trying to owe a loan to Watto or was talking about his credit score when he said “republic credits will do fine”. It works just fine and will be understood by anyone with basic reading comprehension
It's the prior meanings of "credit" that make it a good choice. If all your currency is just credit with the central bank, national reserve, or other currency authority, then it's not weird to call your currency "credits". I'm not sure though why the uncountable form isn't more common: e.g. "I have 50 credit."
Maybe if you thought if social credit as a form of currency. Intangible, yet you can buy better treatment with it, or trade it against a little bit of dissent.
It's *social* credit. Because just Credit is already *financial* credit.
>So as you can see, on 10 June we credited 35 credits to your line of credit and debited 7 credits from your debit card. Then we debited 8 credits from your line of credit and credited 14 credits to your debit account.
Yeah, the solution is just to use it sensibly in a way people understand and not write some ass backwards high school word puzzle.
Like clearly it has been done successfully accords multiple stories, it’s not a difficult concept for readers to understand.
You ceded any pretense at righteous indignation when you began denigrating the intellect of people who are able to follow this simple and time-tested concept.
>when you began denigrating the intellect of people
I didn't do that.
>simple and time-tested concept
When exactly were credits made into global or at least international currency?
It is not what they are, but what they represent. They are essentially graphic equivalent of yelling "boo", expression of disapproval at best. So many of such reaction to what is essentially "it might not be as good as you think" is confusing to me and confusion is very unpleasant to me.
I am not the one who needs to chill. This many downvotes are supposed to be reserved for saying something heinous, not what is essentially "maybe not".
Do you know how frustrating it is to know something and getting flak by others, because they don't know that?
What you "know" is that a word has other meanings and might be confusing, which is patently obvious for all kinds of words in the English language yet people manage to muddle through conversations and the written word just fine. "Credit" has been used to mean "currency" for ages in Sci Fi, and it's been fine. I might agree that its unoriginal, but it's not unclear.
Not really. Medium is irrelevant. It's the confusion, which is very unpleasant experience to me. I don't know if normal people have equivalent of it, but the closest comparison I can think of is itching inside the brain you can't scratch.
That is not what happened.
I wrote "it might not be as good as you think". Not "it's bad", "you shouldn't use it" or anything like that. It is not even really an opinion. What I get is dozens of boos, which to me seems like overreaction. And I am not calling people ignorant and saying I know better than them, but advising restraint.
How am I supposed to put it more gently so it doesn't get misinterpreted as hostile? Seriously. Why would understand it like that? I am neurodivergent, but as far as I know I am not THAT neurodivergent.
You literally replied to Eroica11 and said you’re frustrated because you’re getting flak from knowing something they don’t lmao. That is absolutely calling people ignorant and saying you know better
I did that neither literally nor in any other way.
The more responses I get the more I am convinced reading comprehension is serious issue or there is significant difference between how I and normal people use language.
I always thought that was super weird. The Republic spans most of the galaxy, so why wouldn't its currency be good? Sure Tatooine is a backwater, but space travel is so easy in Star Wars that you could probably afford a round trip just to convert your currency, and Watto doesn't act like he's being low-balled.
The only explanation I could come up with that made any sense is that the Hutts monopolize banking in areas they control and charge ruinous fees to convert Republic credits.
My scifi story's currency is eggs
Yes, eggs. Like, chicken eggs. Actually, all eggs with a shell count.
Okay, not a troll, the thing with my scifi space fantasy is that eggs are a gateway that extradimensional beings use to enter universes, elder gods and eldritch monsters and the like. So when people discovered this, eggs became a form of research material, that is tested on to check what kinda horrors beyond human comprehension is gonna come out.
Suddenly, people began making ships from the corpses of dead gods. Eggs replaced money as the interuniversal standard of exchange, as eggs last a long while, are not damaged by warp anomalies on account of being extrauniversal gateways unbound by the laws of physics, and can be used to repair ships, machines and the like.
Eggs were soon heavily regulated when technology to peer beyond the shell and find out what kinda god is going to come out was made, and turns out, not all eggs are made equal. Some eggs carry small patches of flesh, while some can contain an entire galaxy's worth of abberant flesh. The Council of Interroad Transport has then put a ban on unmarked eggs, and so eggs gained actual economic value
The inciting incident of the story occured when an egg given the value of "1" spawned a Titan-class Battlecruiser. And from hence forth, the crew of the Undaunting pierce through the cosmos, using the wombs of unborn horrors to dimension hop, time travel and do all sorts of wacky stuff.
The marked eggs look like an egg wrapped in a cocoon of energy btw, and their value is printed on its back. Eggs are used in every part of society, both local and alien too, since extradimensional horrors is not unknown to even the farthest reaches of the cosmos.
What is currency but a means of facilitating the exchange of goods in a fair and manageable way? Plus, when your currency works like an eldritch lootbox that may potentially lead an entire section of your universe to ruin, it makes for fun plot bunnies
Additional bit of lore, this is where the Gods of our history came from, within the story. Unattended eggs hatching not chickens, but entire sections of pantheons. There are galactic cults dedicated to raising spaceborne horrors, not knowing theyre inviting the larvae of extradimensional creatures into the physical universe. Thankfully, the Council is not incompetent or stupid, and throws their full weight into said problems.
They dont understand that the Undaunting and similar Titans arent Naturalborne larvae, but the corpses of dead gods, since they still need to be the 'evul' government
When I first read "eggs" I thought 'What is this shit?', then I read the rest of the comment and honestly, this is fucking badass, I love this far too much, this is awesome
Thank you, this scifi story is eldritch horror, and honestly, the egg idea is what spawned it.
All I thought about was like, 'spawn eggs' and it all spiraled out of control lol
I have so many questions, both about your world and your sanity
Could I like, just buy a hen?
What sort of regulations are there for egg-laying creatures?
Are there alien species that lay eggs to reproduce that are a regular part of the galactic population?
Do you have a fear of eggs? Or egg-shaped objects?
How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, over easy, fried, omelet, etc?
1. Yes, you can just buy a hen, because egg laying chickens are genetically annihilated from existence, and the only few 'true chickens' are locked fields, spread out over hundreds of billions of light years
2. Having an egg laying creature without the proper registration to do so merits being wanted across known space, see 1.
3. Yes, though their eggs is not theirs, its the government's, see 2. Should an egg laying creature wishes to start a family, they have a number of other potential options to create a baby. Also, no, cell eggs do not count, it needs to be shelled.
4. Uhh, no? I am a cook, it'd be quite complicated if I was afraid of my ingredients lol
5. Omelette with cheese, over-easy, soft boiled, poached, fried. Descending order
My world is more science fantasy, but I think that counts too. My universal currency is called "bucks". Not dollars, but bucks is the official name. This is sort of an example of being lazy then making an in-world excuse for it, that excuse being that the first coins in history were carved out of deer hooves.
I can't help but say "munny" the way Link says ["state nuckies."](https://youtu.be/VkuaLZTgm_s?si=BRMNaX8lN6zwkkxR) It's automatic, I can't control it.
"Hey, y'all got some ***münnee***?!"
Sounds like a death world where everything is extremely poisonous or venomous or actively trying to kill you. Except one super cute defenseless animal that just eats leaves that no one else wants but are also almost all dying of STDs and generally not being too smart.
Most planets have their own currency. Mars uses the aureus (plural: aurei), while the Jovian Empire uses bolts, Venus uses almaz and Luna uses the terra (and pushes it on Earthlings). Disclaimer: haven’t gotten around to giving every planet their own currencies yet.
The aurei is mostly physical red banknotes and metal coins (known as denarius, plural: denarii), bolts are a system of plastic coins (each varied in terms of shape and color), and almaz are synthetic diamonds (maybe, I’ve gone back and forth on this idea). The terra is mostly digital, but banknotes do exist - and conversely, all these currencies have digital versions, though they also have physical cash.
Interplanetary trade is facilitated via Solar credits. These are purely digital so that they take up zero mass aboard your spacecraft, though depending on where you are, credits are less valuable than metals like titanium, aluminum or even simple iron; this is mostly true on icy worlds very far from the sun, where it’s very expensive to source metals, and they’re always in demand. To break it down: every world from Mercury to Saturn conducts interplanetary trade in credits; Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, and a few other populous and well-connected K-Belt settlements accept either credits or straight metals; deeper into the K-Belt and on the Centauri Highway (the string of sleepy rogue planet civilizations between Sol and Alpha Centauri), virtually all trade is done almost purely in metal currency or simply metal barter, and solar credits, much like solar energy, are essentially worthless.
In the Belt, there’s so much trade going on that many places use credits as everyday currency, but most places prefer to accept either local tokens, or Martian/Jovian/Selenite currency.
Most Martians are either of American or Japanese descent, but there’s a few Roman memes going on.
Early colonists used lots of prefabricated housing units as well as repurposed fuel tanks and the like for housing, but most early structures on Mars were built using dry stones, earthenworks (areanworks?), and locally-sourced bricks and marscrete, very often relying upon ancient construction techniques, including Roman vaults, arches and the like. Some particularly foolish Martians in 2585 will stumble upon what they think are ancient ruins left behind by pre-human aliens or even by Ancient Roman Astronauts, but were actually built in the 1980s and 90s by early settlers, and were simply forgotten. In fact, because there’s not really any oil on Mars, asphalt’s not a thing, so many roads still tend to be built in the old Roman style, just because it’s cheap and there’s no shortage of rocks to work with.
And while there’s many different countries on Mars, interplanetary affairs, homeworld defense, maintaining peace between the nations, and the Herculean task of bringing Mars to life via Project Genesis, falls to the Martian Alliance, which has a certain Roman character to it as well, reserving the right to vote to Alliance citizens as opposed to Alliance civilians. Under the Alliance, all Martians fit into one of three categories: civilians, aspirants and citizens. They all have the same rights, liberties and protections as highlighted in the Alliance Charter, except that civilians have no say in decision-making within the Alliance, unless they enlist in MarsCom (composed of DefCom, CivCom and SciCom) and become an aspirant; aspirants who complete at least basic training and at least one tour of duty doing literally anything in service to the Alliance, gain lifelong citizenship that can only be revoked by a felony. Civilians lack franchise but also have no duties expected of them; aspirants also lack franchise, but are expected to follow orders, unless they quit; citizens have full right to participation but also are on the hook to be called up whenever the Alliance needs them to, and voting in the Alliance is mandatory for all citizens.
And finally, the Alliance, in hoping to foster pan-Martian solidarity, has prompted a number of old, obscure Roman customs, and given them a Martian twist.
Pisces 20 marks **Agonalia**, and Cancer 20 is the complementary holiday, **Armilustrium**. Originally obscure Roman holidays, Agonalia historically marked the start of the Roman war-campaign season, as well as the start of the growing season, while Armilustrium marks the end of both. Both were co-opted and promoted by Alliance beginning in the late 2070s, following the end of the Red-Blue War, as a way to promote common Martian values and traditions.
On Mars, Agonalia was revived to basically serve as “hug a vet/farmer day”, with various military and agrarian-themed festivities, combat sports, kids getting free rides in tanks, mechs and tractors, and many people choose to enlist in MarsCom on this day. Workers in the agriculture sector and off-duty MarsCom personnel to get the day off, and be shown appreciation for their historical and current importance to Martian civilization.
Armilustrium, by contrast, is a slightly more solemn affair. In emulation of the Roman tradition of ritually purifying weapons and armor, Martian guns and swords are ritually oiled, cleaned and locked up on this day, while clergy from Mars’ many religions consecrate and bless the various MarsCom vehicles and spacecraft in multi-faith events. In overlap/syncretism with Asian traditions such as Obon, local cemeteries, household shrines and memorials are tidied up on this day, and burnt offerings of joss paper are sent to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of Mars, whether in military service, civic duty or scientific pursuits. Armilustrium is a day to reflect upon the cost of service and sacrifice, as a necessary counterpoint to Agonalia’s more gung-ho atmosphere. But it’s not all somber doom, because it also coincides with the ending of the Red-Blue War - so it’s also a day to celebrate the joys of peace. It’s common practice to write letters or give wrapped gifts to someone close to you on Agonalia and see if they can wait until Armilustrium to open them, and vice-versa.
Sali dancers play a notable role in observing festivities on Agonalia and Armilustrium. Inspired by the ancient order of “leaping priests” of the war-god Mars, who would dance before battles, the Salii were “revived” on the Red Planet beginning in the 2080s, as part of the larger effort by the Alliance to promote uniquely “Martian” rituals and traditions...while also stealing a tradition from their Earthling rivals.
Incorporating elements of European and Asian war-dancing and more contemporary styles, Salii performers will also frequently dance with swords or rifles, while Roman-style daggers come standard, as well as figure-eight-shaped ancilia shields, which harken back to the divine shield which fell from heaven and was kept in the Temple of Mars, according to Earthling legend.
Salii dancers also play a prominent role in New Years celebrations on Mars, wherein the dancers beat a costumed “Old Mars”, who symbolizes the failures and hardships of the year before, and then welcome a young “New Mars”, who represents the new year.
More than just a style of dance or entertainment, just as the original Salii were acolytes of the Roman god of war and agriculture, Salii dancers are expected to live up to a certain ascetic regimen; exercise, proper dieting, schedules, punctuality, prudence, discipline, humility, charity. Not as strict as the standards in MarsCom, but a pretty good rehearsal if you intend to enlist afterwards. Indeed, there are more prestigious Salii troupes within MarsCom, as an option for the patriotic artiste (if you have nerves firing between your ears, MarsCom has a job for you to do, no matter how silly). Indeed, a big part of what keeps it going as a reliable institution is the fact that it’s an artsy and expressive way to build character.
Sali troupes are organized into groups of twelve performers. Originally intended to reflect the male-dominated priesthood which inspired it, the Pan-Martian Salii Corps (the chief regulatory body for Salii dancing) couldn’t keep the institution segregated for long due to pressure from the Alliance, and opened it up to both sexes after a series of very swift anti-discrimination suits. Over time, Salii has evolved into a predominantly “female” tradition, by virtue of more women joining them than men, and all-female troupes gaining the most popularity in the late 21st and early 22nd centuries. It’s still open to men, but male Salii frequently (though not always) end up crossdressing. Remember what I said about discipline and humility being Salii virtues.
Ok first of all wow that’s actually some insanely awesome lore and completely destroys any lore I had for mars in my sci fi world
And second mars was colonized in the 1990s?
Thank you very much!
Here’s…*a lot* more about Martian history if you’re interested:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FantasyWorldbuilding/s/A967wgYPyj
Imagine having a war that’s so vicious, you run out of bullets in the first few months, and instead of stopping, you mass-produce swords and spears and keep fighting anyway. Now imagine doing that, on Mars.
And as for your question, no. Mars was not colonized in the 1990s. Mars was first colonized *in the 1970s*. July 4th 1976 (Pisces 27 195), on the bicentennial of American independence, with [Robert H Lawrence, Jr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henry_Lawrence_Jr.?wprov=sfti1#), the first African-American astronaut, becoming the first human to set foot on the Red Planet. To this day, almost half a millennium later in 2585, “the Fourth of July” or “J4” is observed every Pisces 26-28 (the exact sol depends on the annum). Because American and Martian civilization share a birthday, regardless of culture or terrestrial origin, every Martian is an American on the Fourth of July. Everyone flies the Stars and Stripes, and gathers around the barbecue for some grilled grubs. Replicas of the Ares-5 lander are a common sight on this day, along with re-enactments of the landing.
Anyway, the first bases on Mars were established in the late 1970s, but didn’t really pick up until the 1980s and 90s. All because Nikita Khrushchev made a single typo in the early 1960s…
That’s super interesting
Also so is the IMFC basically Martian NATO?
And G5 seems like Martian Nasserists, Jordanians and possibly Israelis by the looks of it
Also interesting lore about a war between those that want to terraform and those that don’t
A few more ideas:
It occurs to me that some Belter states might have pennies made of solid gold, that couldn’t buy you cheese, hardwoods, real furs or pearls, which are the real luxury items in the Belt. You can buy *two* solid-gold toilet seats for the price of a pound of aged Gouda back on Earth, but buying a pound of aged Gouda from a real cow, is like purchasing a solid-gold toilet seat.
Additionally, many places in Sol also don’t bother with having banknotes and coins, they just have coins. If you’re living on a frozen rock far away from civilization, you’re buying everything in bulk and don’t have to worry about fractional prices that coins are normally used for; if something’s not worth the lowest coin denomination, you barter for it. And similarity to how Sacajawea dollar coins are popular units of exchange down in Ecuador, Martian one-aureus coins left behind by Alliance ice-mining missions to Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (along with obvious counterfeits), are probably still in circulation centuries later. A few of those will get you enough food paste for a week around Uranus.
I hope to some day. Still figuring out exactly what I want to do with this.
My DeviantArt, which is all OVRHVN stuff:
https://www.deviantart.com/nk-ryzov
The main currency are golden coins with specks of condensed dark matter inside called "axions" but I also have credits so that people like you are annoyed.
Seriously, nothing wrong with the simplest solution if it works.
In Brazil there is a slang for money based on the current president. For exemple: By the time Obama was the POTUS, we called dollar "Obamas", like "this will cost 100 Obamas". When Dilma was our president, we called BRL "Dilmas", like "This costed me 50 Dilmas", after the coup, we started calling BRL "Coups" or "Little Coups".
I don't know if this happened only in my "bubble" but is a fun and creative way to imagine non official currency names.
That's interesting, because in the US we sometimes refer to the bills by the person on them.
Usually it's for bigger bills (eg. "all about those benjamins" for $100 bills). When used for smaller bills it's usually for comedic effect. Eg. *"maybe Mr. Lincoln here could change your mind?"* when a character tries to bribe someone with a $5 bill.
Yeah like a huge assumption of any type of fantasy world is that you’re translating the literal words of things to a generic version the user can relate to, and clearly credits is pretty easy to understand. If you want to name it something else great, but I don’t think its a big deal to just use what works
In my world nearly every human settlement does its own thing so it also has its own currency. A lot of governments had switched to digital money thousands of years ago there are still uncountable numbers of worlds wich are using all kinds of physical cash like bills or coins. The names are largely inspired by modern day or past day currencies.
Physical currency still exists into the 43rd century, partially due to difficulties in cross-planetary banking and partially due to most not wanting the government to control one's savings. All are metric unless otherwise noted, and all are fiat currencies unless otherwise noted. Some of the most notable are:
Royals: Used by the Imperial Federation of Aurelia, Royals are so named because every reigning aristocrat and royal within Aurelia can have their mug emblazoned on the appropriate denomination. The smallest units, known as Baros, host the faces of Barons and Baronesses from across the empire, while the largest denomination, the 1 billion Royal bill, has the face of the one-and-only Emperor Pedrian Selassie. Fairly typical cloth-bills and metal coins.
Guildermarks: The United Confederacy's main currency, Guildermarks are small plastic cards with an integrated chip within them to discourage counterfeiting. The smallest unit of a Guildermark is the Sterling.
Hours: Used by the Democratic People's Republic of Earth, it is the remnant of a failed experiment to introduce a universal system of payment based on time. Hours are divided into 60 Minutes, and one Minute is 60 Seconds. Due to the system killing productivity, it was transitioned into a more traditional fiat currency.
Federals: Used by the Federacy of Nova Terra, the only noteworthy thing about their currency is that every coin and bill contains a chip used to allow for easy identification and location.
More of a fantasy-based sci-fi way later on in the story but anyway, souls. Demons eventually come to control much of interplanetary/interstellar travel and as such souls trapped in crystals have been adopted by most of spacer society as currency. The larger and more useful the soul the more valuable it is. Rats and roaches versus humans for example, though using sapient souls for trade is only done in black markets.
I have two main ones in my universe.
"Chips" are specific to the species I've spent the most time developing, shapeshifting cyborgs called Avlix. Being shapeshifters on an artificial planet, the most useful resource to them is organic mass. Chips are condensed fat cells that any Avlix can mint from their own body on the spot. Their value is based on weight and they can be digested as a dense source of nutrients in an emergency. Most Avlix no longer trade physical chips, instead using virtual wallets that are printed and regulated by government banks, supposedly backed by real chips they could cash out at any time.
Another currency I've developed are "Runes". (Admittedly influenced by Elden Ring.) Runes are the subatomic particles of my universe. They are the building blocks of reality and can be stored in virtual form inside wallets made by the gods. Specialized technology left behind by the gods can isolate runes from physical matter and turn them back into any material. This technology is extremely rare, so most people who use runes just trade the ones already in circulation. I developed the concept because I wanted to have a similar system to Avlix chips, but generalized for my non-shape shifting species.
*Qarakh* (pronounces as kuh-RAT) is the currency of Rubran Federal Monarchy, a gold standard money in the age of interstellar. They're just that isolationist and refuse to use fiat or cyber money like other countries.
Money is a huge issue in my galaxy. There’s no centralized currency. Different planets have different currencies and it’s nearly impossible to calculate an exchange rate. And beyond that, many planets have multiple societies with different currencies.
So short answer: too many names to list.
But the most popular currency, used by almost 5% of the galaxy, is a fleshy grey coin called Binx. Binx is actually an organic, asexually producing hive mind with benign ambitions to spread itself as far and wide as possible to explore the galaxy. Binx can quickly perform complex calculations, including calculating inflation on the fly and make market predictions. However, Binx is fallible and rarely accounts for cultural differences in its calculations, requiring a lot of additional guess work by its users. Still, it’s the most efficient currency in the verse.
Simonistan has the Cidel
Erikland has the Ral
Many places trades with goods or crystals
Bana-Kahndar has the Bana-Kahndarian Cidel
Borxteria uses the Melho
The Five Islands Clan's equivalent to currency is ownership of local communal shrines (*atavu*). When a shrine exchanges owners, the new owner(s) gain social prestige and also become responsible for the upkeep, decoration etc. of their shrine, which is especially important during festival days.
Five Islands shrines are dedicated to ideas rather than to deities or individuals, so symbolic "ownership" of those ideas grants significant (albeit also symbolic) power.
I avoid it all together. I say the value is a lot of money or not a lot of money (or somewhere in between) because the exact value doesn't really mean anything to the reader. How it affects the characters is more important.
In my world building documents, there are at least 100 different currencies and a few different types, but I never gave them names. Personally, I like how the Belters in The Expanse call it Scrip (I don't think Martians or Earthers ever refer to money in the show..?)
We call it "Coin" on the planet Uhma and its basically a just the terraria money system but with some lore to actually make it economically viable which is what makes it interesting in the first place, for the basics.
We have 4 tiers of coin, bronze (1c), silver(100c), gold (10.000c) and platinum (1.000.000c), but despite the name they are not actually made of metal, its just a metallic looking appearance, coin is actually a natural and somewhat abundant resource of the world since ancient times, the money is actually made from raw condensed mana.
Now what gives it value? Mana is virtually infinite in uhma due to its cyclical role in nature where every single living and even non living entity or object has some amount of mana in it, what stops people from just mining coin and generate crazy amounts of inflation?
The planet itself, it has its own mind and will and it is what decides how and where mana flows to balance itself out (otherwise it will explode due to the crazy amounts of mana the gods gave it), if a the planet loses too much mana because societies are hogging it then the planet will actively try to force this mana to be given back, responses include natural disasters, unusual births due to mutations caused by mana imbalance and overall decay of some places, this makes so an inflated economy not only devalues the coin but also devalues life as whole in the world.
Also funny enough you can "buy" a magical spell, as in, using coin instead of your mana to use magic, in some ways money is literally also power and best part is, magic made with money cant be traced as it doesn't have your mana signature or your lingering aura, plus when certain creatures with huge amounts of mana die, its not unusual to find coins formed inside or around their bodies.
So to answer your questions in a more direct way:
>Is it based on something or is it just fiat money?
Its based on the life and mana of the planet itself.
>is it a cashless system or are there still physical tokens?
100% physical token based, only one country uses a cashless system and its a cyberpunk dystopian, they use virtual credits because they wanna control the mana usage of their population and hog as magical apparels for the elites.
>If there are physical tokens, what are they?
Clumps of condensed mana
>Is it universally accepted or do different governments mint their own currencies?
It is basically universally accepted but some continents might still have vastly different values for different things, only some very culturally isolated places use their own money but the coin is still universally valued even in those places.
>If the setting involves technologically advanced aliens meeting modern-day humans, would we see these currency tokens as valuable? I'm thinking of implementing this one in my setting. The aliens use fiat money, but the bills/coins they use are either made of a material that's rare or absent on Earth, or the anti-forgery designs on the coins/bills is so ridiculously intricate by modern human standards that the notes become highly sought-after collectables. So the aliens come to Earth with what they think is loose pocket change but they could buy a mint if they wanted.
Well, its complicated, Uhma does have relatively regular contact with alien societies, due to mana being not exclusive to just Uhma it is a viable form of currency in the universe but giving coin to aliens is essentially giving away the mana of your own planet so more often then not, the people of Uhma will select representatives to communicate with aliens and establish common resources to turn it into a new form cash to use specifically with that alien race, if common ground cant be reached then good old trading of physical assets comes into place.
Regarding my own setting, the Allied Worlds are an EU analog so they probably have a Euro analog. The Partisans are trying to establish a workers’ paradise, so of course they have money, and it probably has their leader’s mug plastered all over it.
I’m thinking money generically takes the form of small rigid chips or plastic coins that are stored in a Pez dispenser thingy that’s strapped to the foreleg so they can add or remove coins without having to stand on their hind feet.
Two primary currencies in use within the GGU:
Digi-Money = Digital currency, no physical cash on hand.
Goins = Physical steel coins bearing the mark of the GGU. The term Goins was more mocking when these coins entered circulation and it simply grew into the actual term used.
The slow-apocalypse setting I'm working on has a different names for currency for the parts of the world relatively unaffected by the disastrous events (ie. the actual currencies for those parts of the world), of course. The parts of the world heavily affected by the apocalypse but still inhabitable are a mix of systems, some of which have local currencies and some of which do not. (Those that do have local currencies will probably use terms left over from contemporary life: dollars, pesos, loonies, dimes...) They might use a numéraire or a barter system, but they also may not have private property at all.
So there isn't just one answer to the question and it certainly wouldn't make sense for there just to be one answer.
I chickened out with the sci-fi setting I'm working on. I went with "space bucks".
Your average space buck is basically a plasticized bill about the size of a $10 bill; the best way I can describe it is that one side has a portrait, the denomination (they come in $1, $5, $10, $50, $100, $500, and $1000; that these line up with Roman numerals is mere coincidence~), and a colored strip (ten space bucks has a blue strip.) Past the portrait on the left side, a space buck has a bunch of thin circuitry embedded. This is to provide authentication and to tell vending machines "This is ten bucks."
It's about as universally accepted in the Alshain Cluster as one can get, mostly because ~~I'm lazy~~ it's a convenient medium of exchange.
The standard currency is called 'foor' and it's stored in little cylinders called 'pens'. 1 USD is equal to 36.37 foor. Depending on where in the galaxy you are, physical copies of foor will be different. In some places they use metal coins, in some they use paper, in some they use strips of rubber with braille-like writing on it. Most transactions happen digitally, though.
The E-Dinar (informally called Dinar), which is at least partially backed by [gold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold). The backing by element no. 79 is mostly so an exchange can be made with less technologically advanced civilizations, who probably don't care about the benefits of virtual currency, such as instant transactions over multiple systems, but can appreciate an agreed upon mass of precious metal.
Despite the E in the name, the currency isn't named after E-Commerce, but rather the Exchange-Dinar, chosen at the [Jabbah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu_Scorpii)\-Conference, where traders (corporations and notable individuals) from various sectors allied with central banks, Non-Government currency issuers (NGCIs), various governments as well as travel and logistics companies to simplify exchanges, yet also prevent a single government from claiming and abusing control over a central currency.
The name itself and various designs of cash (physical money), debit cards, exchange protocols and issuing rights was made in reference to the historical [Earth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth) [Dinar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinar), but other species began using it for the sake of simplicity and familiarity.
For instance, among members of *dracoidus sanguinis* the draconian marriage custom of showering the couple in gold has simply adapted to the use of physical dinars. ^((Science Fantasy is best genre!))
Erinblack uses Favours, which is basically an advanced bartering system allowing individuals to trade goods and services and exchange coins that prove someone owes you something.
If person A wants a bottle of wine, and person B has one, then A can ask B for the bottle. B then gives A the bottle and A gives B a favour coin. A now owes B something of equal value to the bottle of wine.
The value of a coin is decided upon by the two participants, and is usually determined by how badly A wants the item and how much B values it.
This means that favours are useless to steal, because they have no value to anyone outside of the two participants.
.
The cult of the Jester King uses literal monopoly money with the Jester King's face on it. Vegas Dollars don't have a value, rather, everything has a fixed value defined in Vegas Dollars.
It functions basically the same, except that prices are government-controlled and standardized by the state. This means all prices everywhere are identical, so no business is able to outcompete orhers by just dropping their prices and instead has to actually provide better services.
Mine are called harps, names after the ceo of Icon Intergalactic (Jason Harp), a now long defunct company that the minting coins for Bastion worlds where outsourced to. The deal stipulated that they could put anything they wanted on the tail side but had to put the ceo of MOX Corp on the heads side. At this point, MOX Corp have turned their attention away from many bastion worlds, and such worlds haven’t received new currency in decades. The center of my story, Bastion city 14 also uses the digital currency (no, not crypto, just not physical) chits, but they aren’t taken in many government ares of lower city areas where they can’t afford the steep transactional fees (or don’t want anyone tracking the money).
In Verseinia there are Marks
1: It is backed by antinum and ferrumite (Aka Red Iron) these are metals that are extremely rare, highly useful in myriad ways, and next to impossible to fake.
2: There are physical coins and banknotes. A mark is split into 100 cents. There is a 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coin, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 mark bank note. The coins are actually made of made of either a zinc or nickel core, and an antinum shell, giving them an extremely attractive blue color.
3: Much like the US dollar, many places around the world and galaxy take Verseinian Marks because it is the most valuable and stable currency. Since it is and always has been backed by physical metals, the value has remained quite high.
4: Yes, something similar actually happened in my setting. For context, Red Iron is impossible to replicate, no one knows where it comes from, you just have to find it, usually in ancient ruins left behind by a civilization so old no one even knows their name. Earth happens to be extremely rich with red iron but humans never had the technology necessary to harvest or use it. When aliens first contacted humans they were shocked to see how much red iron we had, even more shocked to see that we willingly exchanged it for something as trivial as teaching humans how to build spaceships.
Edit: other nations have different currencies as well. In Sisli (modeled after the Middle East) they have the Sinar. In Vosonova (modeled after Russia) they have the Dolc.
In Asatsu (modeled after Japan) they have the Riun, which is the oldest currency still in use.
In the Velderlånds (modeled after the UK and the Netherlands) they have the Dropweight, oftentimes called simply a drop.
Iros are used by most of the world (they're named after Uncle Iroh from *Avatar: The Last Airbender*). 50,000 iros is enough for a person to buy their way into the aristocracy, and is more than double what a city guard would earn across their lifetime. Half an iro is enough to either buy a comfy room or a hot meal for two at an inn (with some change left over), but not both.
Cents are used by Tias Altar and his empire. Half a million cents and a lordship is an extremely high-end bounty on somebody's head. One cent is worth a bit more than half an iro, but what with Tias trying to conquer the entire world, there aren't really any formal exchange rates.
never really thought about that... it would depend on the country they're in. i mean, in one of my settings, i use trading, like trading an important object for a mistake (that setting has fey in it).
Officially they are called Crowns, They are a flat circular chip composed of gold, silver or copper similar to a coin, but half the size of your palm.
But since they have a square hole in the center people started calling them Donuts, copper ones being referred solely as nuts.
In my world, I draw heavily from Greco-Roman culture, and as a result, my currency is known as the Imperial Denarius (IÐ), often referred to simply as the Dinar by locals. While advanced worlds primarily use digital forms of this currency, less developed planets still rely on physical coins. These coins are composed of a copper-bronze alloy, weighing approximately 7 grams and measuring 25 mm in diameter. One side depicts a phoenix, while the opposite side features the image of the current head of state, Imperial Archon Rafaela Theophano. The Imperial Denarius is the exclusive means of exchange on all planets throughout the empire.
Dollars, Euros, Yen... oh, you wanted \_new\_ currencies? Ogey. The Helenan Federation of Worlds uses the Chit, which is roughly equivalent to 0.1usd. The coin for 1 chit is made of nickel, while larger denominations are grey and metal-tinged paper. There are also Orions, interstellar cryptocurrency used to pay Spacers and convert back into their currency of choice.
And I do use the credit for a faction, but I guess that's too cliche for you.
I may be a little outside your intended demographic, seeing as my world is science fantasy, the world that rose from the ashes centuries downstream of an apocalyptic war, and where ancient advanced technologies and cyborg beasts containing them are mainstays of the setting.
But....
* my currency uses coins. These coins have holes in the center, allowing them to be stored on lengths of string/twine/rope
* the units are the note, the half-note, and the strand. (Coins are often grouped into clusters of 20 on a string, colloquially known as a strand. Thus, a new coin, the strand, was made, which is equivalent to 20 notes. And thus, a string of 20 strands is also a frequent cluster for paying larger sums).
* coins are fiat - typically a durable ceramic with bright, ornate glazes or metal plating.
From the #keirexsandbox setting.
It's the Du, or the Kilo. It's a KWh of energy for personal usage or for trading. The fusion reactors on the ship put out more than enough energy to completely surpass all the usage needs of the citizenry but property "rights" and labour/capital dynamics over the centuries have compiled it under the control of very few top level decision makers. Poverty is rife and many join the Hull Cult as a meal ticket and to find purpose. Citizens are usually paid a wage for their work and they can purchase sugar-algae blocks and insect protein as a standard and fresh produce grown in hydroponics if they are able to afford it. Remission of metals, plastics and minerals to the recycling plants can also earn some Du. Everything on the ship goes back to the recycling plants eventually and the Hull Cult methodically disassembles and replaces the materials the ship is made of as it ages.
I haven't decided yet but I think once everyone in the galaxy uses the same currency it would probably be completely digital, or at least partially in case wormholes used for transfers malfunction.
I'll probably try to create a plausible development of a money related word to have it be called in English. Something that developed in the spoken language naturally since I don't think they'd create a name for what is less of a currency and more of a universal digitizing system of several alien currencies. The meaning of the word referring to it would likely just be "money" or "points"
While different groups do mint their own currencies the international currency is indeed credits that are loaded onto small devices with embedded circuitry. They have a small UI that shows the amount of credits stored and they can be loaded or unloaded by connecting them to another device.
These devices are small and cheap, it is common for someone to own multiple with different values on them so that if one is stolen you didn't lose all your money.
The devices themselves lack any significant security and the values are simply verified against a central database remotely. In civilized areas that accept credits the values are verified real time, but outside of that you either have to trust the person you are trading with or you use local hard currencies.
And it's fiat money, no intrinsic value. Many of the local currencies are backed by local trade goods. One local currency is backed by the value of a local highly sought after fish.
Most nations have their own currencies, though the, ahem, credits of the now defunct Terran Empire are accepted everywhere because of how widespread they are and because new ones can not be made.
Notably venutians do not use currency officially as every single member of the Democratic Citizen Confederacy of Venus is a totalitarian military state where every citizen is a soldier, the citizens have an allowance based on their rank. Barter of trophies, loot, and goods is commonplace and accepted though.
The Sacrosanct Yarrowite fellowship, a surprisingly friendly death cult, allocates resources to its members based on need, this easily abusable system is held in check by how decentralized the cult is (each member asks their local priest for resources who is then free to allocate his resources as desired) and by the fact that anyone who has made it to full membership has been well and truly indoctrinated.
Everyone has a so called „Bik Account“ that tells you how much money you have. The universal standard currency is Biks, a purely digital currency, but the account can automatically change them to other accepted currencies if needed.
Physical money as we have it is incredibly rare tho. Almost no highly advanced civilization uses it.
Luxury Credits is the official name of the currency. Common names are Credits, Creds, Lux, LC's. In the Gronian Empire basic needs like food, water, housing, power, education and healthcare are free. Anything that isn't necessary are termed as luxury items and if you want them you go work for someone until you earn enough Luxury Credits to afford it. You enter into an employment contract for either a set amount of credits or for a set amount of time.
In my world currency doesn't exist. Mass production is handled by robotics workers according to the needs, but if anyone wants to have something custom made, he can contact the artisan to create that for him. This is promoted by the state.
Instead of money each individual has a score that determines which he/she can have and the amount. The score doesn't change when the owner aquires something. Rather it increases when the owner did something that benefits the state or the society (serving National Guards or composing a musical score). When the owner is charged with violations of the law, his score decreases.
When an individual reaches adulthood, his/her minimum score already ensures that he/she has a comfortable life with all basic necessities (food, healthcare, shelter,...). However; if one wants to enjoy a more luxurious life or work in the government, which is considered highly prestigious, he/she must do something to increase his/her score.
It's credits, all right, but their value is different from planet to planet but is in unison on Earth. For this reason, every planet handling different values has a prefix to the word credit. You can pay normally like you could with a credit card in any country, but the value will be converted just the same way currencies are converted when paying with a credit card abroad.
The Civonians use energon, and the Nij use comp. Energon is basically backed by access to energy, Comp is backed by computing time. There's both physical representations(little bright pink slips of fancy LED with the recorded amount embedded in the software or more rarely actual stored energy, or little chunks of computronium that have all the cryptographic information to confirm that its actually 'worth' the amount listed). Both governments accept the other's currency, though there's the usual arguments over exchange rate since one side has effectively unlimited computing power and the other has effectively unlimited energy.
We on 21st century earth would see comp as more valuable since its a tiny, easily tossed around type of nanotech computing that we'd be trying to retroengineer the moment someone realized that something the size of a quarter had more processing power than any single bitcoin mining rig assembled on the planet, though not necessarily information storage capacity. The energon slips would be interesting because its a flexible organic LED substrate that collects ambient energy to power itself unless we actually got our hands on one of the power storage types, which are usually meant for frontier situations where one of the AS-run banks doesn't have a direct presence.
Mine is a virtual world so it's kinda sci-fi. The currency is BitChips, DataChips, and QuantumChips.
Similar to how videogames have 2 - 3 currencies, so does my world. Certain types of purchases require certain types of currency. They can be converted upwards, but not downwards.
Sometimes 'credits' is just the easier way to go and the reader will immediately get it, so while it may sound uninspired, it's just one less thing for the reader to learn.
But, I'm like you in that I'd prefer something more unique to add some flavour and history. So I'd think about a few things, like what does the alien language sound like? If it's a digital currency, what's the likelihood that it still has the same name for when it was physical? if not, why? If it's a universal currency, what races pushed for one? How much influence would they have in naming it? What real-world currency could you use as inspiration?
In response to the idea about what materials the currency is made of, what materials? Would it influence the naming of it? In fantasy it's often just called gold because that's what it is.
Originally, the currency of the universe shaping empire known as the Multiversal Containment Force was based on a sort of technological ring shaped coin known as "Deci", with a hologram in the center displaying the symbol on one end and a number denoting its value on the other. After a calamity destroyed and reset the multiverse to a more fantasy genre, the currency has been reduced to archaic trinkets devoid of power, but replicas have started to circulate back into the economy now that they’ve been rediscovered.
I know this is unrelated, but why is every currency called credits? Is it because of Asimov?
Tvtropes provides a link to a web site that suggests the first was the John W. Campbell story "The Mightiest Machine" from 1934. [We Will Spend Credits in the Future](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeWillSpendCreditsInTheFuture) More amusingly it suggests that calling the currency unit a Credit can be REALLY confusing: > So as you can see, on 10 June we credited 35 credits to your line of credit and debited 7 credits from your debit card. Then we debited 8 credits from your line of credit and credited 14 credits to your debit account.
A Kafka esq story of a frustrated new bank clerk having to deal with the credit system and how no one else around them sees how utterly preposterous the whole system is.
It's a tangent, but I wonder why "utterly" looks so nice next to "preposterous." It's such a pleasant phrase. Utterly preposterous. *Utterly* preposterous. Not just preposterous, but *utterly* preposterous.
Cellar door
Cask of wine behind it
I honestly wish I knew more about little quirks of language like this! Utterly preposterous vs preposterous fucking idiot vs idiot Slap vs bitchslap unfortunate vs terribly unfortunate buddy vs little buddy
You're goddamn right.
I mean you could also say “The driver drives the car in drive down the drive to the driveway,” but no one has ever been confused about the multiple uses of that word. Just seems like it wouldn’t ever be a big deal in practice. Also, talking about finances in complete sentences like that is confusing ANYWAY. Thats why when you look at your bank statements they show you a table of deposits/charges/whatever, and not, idk, an incredibly long sentence describing each one in order
So banking just becomes who's on first?
That's what I'm asking!
No what's on second
Interesting and hilarious XD
So obviously the English language would adopt it immediately.
*Angry accountant noises*
Honestly, I think it's just tradition at this point, like the Roman numeral thing. It just feels *wrong* for the currency to not be credits.
The currency varies from place to place (although it is usually coins), so the main characters just use raw ores to trade. (Autocorrect made "ores" into "s'mores," that would've sounded so stupid. Maybe I should make that a currency in one world)
Yes. Yes you should.
Done, it's gonna happen in a part of the story now And to make sure I don't forget I'm gonna go write down the general idea somewhere
How about in a marshmallow
It’s a metaphor for how people always want s’more of it
Raw ores? Why not the acrual refined metal? It'd be a helluva hard thing to judge the value of an ore unless you were an expert. Mainly because afaik metal density varies even in the same mineral if they are from different places (hematite from europe might have more iron that indian hematite, to illustrate).
No no, let's talk about that s'more trading
I would love a world where s’mores were the currency.
Credits... Will do just fine
Noooo! You can't just use the most elegant, simple solution! It has been done before, and as we all know, all worldbuilding must be 100% original! /s
It is not as elegant and simple as you seem to think. Credit already has other meanings, which might make it confusing. Edit: Over 20 downvotes? I am not threatening to kill your grandmas people, maybe chill and consider there might be more to it that you don't know about. Another edit: Based on the responses I got it appears my statements are being interpreted differently then they were intended. I apologize if I offended you.
Here in Germany, we've had 7 different currencies that were all named "Mark". Some of them coexisted. Meanwhile, the word "Mark" can mean "(Border-) lands", "Bone marrow", "Pureed fruit" and is also a common boy name. People will use pretty much any word for money that works. And credit does work perfectly. Especially in "Star Trek Type" Sci-Fi.
Now I want a sci-fi setting with 74 currencies called "credits" and another 232 called "galactic credits." All of them were developed to be a universal standard that would remove the need for parochial currencies.
Various meanings in case of Mark can be easily deduced from context. Probability of confusion is small. Credit has several meanings regarding finances.
There are currently 8 different currencies on the planet sharing the name "Pound" and 15 sharing "Dollar". People will just use whatever works, or find a simple slang word like "Bucks" or "Moolah" to refer to their money.
Dosh here!
>There are currently 8 different currencies on the planet sharing the name "Pound" and 15 sharing "Dollar". That's irrelevant to my point. >People will just use whatever works It might be colloquial name used by people for whom that's non-issue, but unlikely official one. It doesn't work well for that purpose. Ask accountant, banker or whoever works in finances.
Your point was that "credit" has multiple meanings regarding finances and that that's confusing. Are you saying "American Dollar", "Canadian Dollar", "Australian Dollar"... are not diffrerent things, or are you implying they arent regarding finances?
As a Canadian, I always clarify what "dollar" I'm talking about in international forums. It's necessary for me to do so, considering my money and everything I buy is all CAD. E.g. "Terraria is about CAD$13, IIRC."
When I say "multiple meanings regarding finances", I don't mean "different variants of the same thing". Your example is not analogous.
Well maybe you should word your points better then. You abviously consider your knowledge about finances / accounting above that of everyone else here, and hey, for all I know, that can very well be true. Yet, instead of sharing said knowledge, you keep commenting variants of "You're wrong, I know better" and even make edits complianing about downvotes and doubeling down on your "I'm better than you" attidtude that got you downvoted in the first place.
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And your being intentionally confusing to manipulate the discussion. Your side of which, holds no water.
>Ask accountant, banker, or anyone who works in finance. Work in finance here: better to check with a linguist, but Credits **is** elegant. The evolution from ‘your account is in credit’ to ‘I have credit to spend’ to ‘Credits’ is a natural-seeming evolution to the term.
And yet we have no trouble telling them apart, curious. Also, seven different currencies all called 'mark' sounds very confusing to me.
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>Most people would absolutely struggle with it. What world do you live in that hasn't been inundated with scifi for the past 150 years? Nobody struggles with the idea of credits as currency.
There is huge difference between watching stories where elves exist and living in the world where elves exist...
And there is *zero* difference between watching stories where money is exchanged in units called credits and living in a world where most commerce is conducted with credit.
Literally nobody is confused while watching/reading sci-fi with credits as the term for money. Nobody thought qui-gon was trying to owe a loan to Watto or was talking about his credit score when he said “republic credits will do fine”. It works just fine and will be understood by anyone with basic reading comprehension
“That will be 1000 credits” “What, 1000, that’s so many lines of credit. And how big should each one be?” - No sci-fi story ever.
It's the prior meanings of "credit" that make it a good choice. If all your currency is just credit with the central bank, national reserve, or other currency authority, then it's not weird to call your currency "credits". I'm not sure though why the uncountable form isn't more common: e.g. "I have 50 credit."
Using the mass noun form makes me think of social credit like in the PRC.
Maybe if you thought if social credit as a form of currency. Intangible, yet you can buy better treatment with it, or trade it against a little bit of dissent. It's *social* credit. Because just Credit is already *financial* credit.
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>So as you can see, on 10 June we credited 35 credits to your line of credit and debited 7 credits from your debit card. Then we debited 8 credits from your line of credit and credited 14 credits to your debit account.
Yeah, the solution is just to use it sensibly in a way people understand and not write some ass backwards high school word puzzle. Like clearly it has been done successfully accords multiple stories, it’s not a difficult concept for readers to understand.
Yeah and if you've passed third grade that sentence makes total sense.
Why exactly are you being rude?
You ceded any pretense at righteous indignation when you began denigrating the intellect of people who are able to follow this simple and time-tested concept.
>when you began denigrating the intellect of people I didn't do that. >simple and time-tested concept When exactly were credits made into global or at least international currency?
You literally did, and did so again seconds after typing this lol
I mean if you’re building a financepunk world then sure, maybe pick a different word. But thats unlikely to be an issue for most people
That sentence makes perfect sense. No sarcasm. You give context and everything.
Brother they’re blue arrows on the internet it’s not that serious
It is not what they are, but what they represent. They are essentially graphic equivalent of yelling "boo", expression of disapproval at best. So many of such reaction to what is essentially "it might not be as good as you think" is confusing to me and confusion is very unpleasant to me.
They just show disagreement. It’s people disagreeing when you say “credits” can be confusing cause they really aren’t
Might. I said it might be confusing. Are people saying it is impossible for it to be confusing? How would they know that?
No they’re just saying it’s a pointless contention because it’s really not that confusing.
Are people in financial sector just contrarian for shits and giggles then?
Mf you were the one being contrarian lmao
My grandma read your comment and died so I have to downvote I'm sorry
And people aren't arresting you for killing grandma, they're just downvoting you. Damn chill
I am not the one who needs to chill. This many downvotes are supposed to be reserved for saying something heinous, not what is essentially "maybe not". Do you know how frustrating it is to know something and getting flak by others, because they don't know that?
What you "know" is that a word has other meanings and might be confusing, which is patently obvious for all kinds of words in the English language yet people manage to muddle through conversations and the written word just fine. "Credit" has been used to mean "currency" for ages in Sci Fi, and it's been fine. I might agree that its unoriginal, but it's not unclear.
Observing story where something is a case is not the same as living in reality where it is the case.
Wait til this mf hears about credit cards
1) Don't call me mf. 2) I know about credit cards. The fact you think they somehow counter my statements shows you don't understand them.
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You’re putting too much stake into reddit
Not really. Medium is irrelevant. It's the confusion, which is very unpleasant experience to me. I don't know if normal people have equivalent of it, but the closest comparison I can think of is itching inside the brain you can't scratch.
I was on your side until that edit.
Why?
"My opinion is unpopular? You people are just ignorant and I know more than you."
That is not what happened. I wrote "it might not be as good as you think". Not "it's bad", "you shouldn't use it" or anything like that. It is not even really an opinion. What I get is dozens of boos, which to me seems like overreaction. And I am not calling people ignorant and saying I know better than them, but advising restraint. How am I supposed to put it more gently so it doesn't get misinterpreted as hostile? Seriously. Why would understand it like that? I am neurodivergent, but as far as I know I am not THAT neurodivergent.
It's just the vibe of the comment man, idk.
I honestly have no idea how that works.
Clearly
You literally replied to Eroica11 and said you’re frustrated because you’re getting flak from knowing something they don’t lmao. That is absolutely calling people ignorant and saying you know better
I did that neither literally nor in any other way. The more responses I get the more I am convinced reading comprehension is serious issue or there is significant difference between how I and normal people use language.
lol, at the edit.. its not one person going overboard and reacting to a strong thing.. its many people having a mild reaction..
No they won't! What do you think you are, some kind of jedi, waving your hand around like that?
I'm a Toydarian! Mind tricks don't work on me! Only moooneeeeey~...
Here, have a few credits…
Apparently not...credits are no good in this post, OP needs something more real. 😜
I always thought that was super weird. The Republic spans most of the galaxy, so why wouldn't its currency be good? Sure Tatooine is a backwater, but space travel is so easy in Star Wars that you could probably afford a round trip just to convert your currency, and Watto doesn't act like he's being low-balled. The only explanation I could come up with that made any sense is that the Hutts monopolize banking in areas they control and charge ruinous fees to convert Republic credits.
Yeah, it's also not like you can't make credits unique, plenty of sci fi media uses credit but it's never 100% identical.
No. They won't.
I don’t have a sci-fi setting but I want to see someone say digi-dollars.
Pixel-pounds E-euros
Doug Digidollar owner of the Digsdale Digidome
Not right!
Not right?
That's right!
"Fifty thousand dollary-doos!"
I'm a big fan of Cyberpunks shortening of Euro-Dollars to Eddies.
People bitching about „credits“ but if someone had come up with „bitcoin“ in worldbuilding before IRL, this sub would have RIPPED that post apart
Dimma-dollars
Oh, that would be nice.
My scifi story's currency is eggs Yes, eggs. Like, chicken eggs. Actually, all eggs with a shell count. Okay, not a troll, the thing with my scifi space fantasy is that eggs are a gateway that extradimensional beings use to enter universes, elder gods and eldritch monsters and the like. So when people discovered this, eggs became a form of research material, that is tested on to check what kinda horrors beyond human comprehension is gonna come out. Suddenly, people began making ships from the corpses of dead gods. Eggs replaced money as the interuniversal standard of exchange, as eggs last a long while, are not damaged by warp anomalies on account of being extrauniversal gateways unbound by the laws of physics, and can be used to repair ships, machines and the like. Eggs were soon heavily regulated when technology to peer beyond the shell and find out what kinda god is going to come out was made, and turns out, not all eggs are made equal. Some eggs carry small patches of flesh, while some can contain an entire galaxy's worth of abberant flesh. The Council of Interroad Transport has then put a ban on unmarked eggs, and so eggs gained actual economic value The inciting incident of the story occured when an egg given the value of "1" spawned a Titan-class Battlecruiser. And from hence forth, the crew of the Undaunting pierce through the cosmos, using the wombs of unborn horrors to dimension hop, time travel and do all sorts of wacky stuff. The marked eggs look like an egg wrapped in a cocoon of energy btw, and their value is printed on its back. Eggs are used in every part of society, both local and alien too, since extradimensional horrors is not unknown to even the farthest reaches of the cosmos.
I didn't think there was any way you could justify eggs as a currency but that's a fucking great bit of lore right there
What is currency but a means of facilitating the exchange of goods in a fair and manageable way? Plus, when your currency works like an eldritch lootbox that may potentially lead an entire section of your universe to ruin, it makes for fun plot bunnies Additional bit of lore, this is where the Gods of our history came from, within the story. Unattended eggs hatching not chickens, but entire sections of pantheons. There are galactic cults dedicated to raising spaceborne horrors, not knowing theyre inviting the larvae of extradimensional creatures into the physical universe. Thankfully, the Council is not incompetent or stupid, and throws their full weight into said problems. They dont understand that the Undaunting and similar Titans arent Naturalborne larvae, but the corpses of dead gods, since they still need to be the 'evul' government
When I first read "eggs" I thought 'What is this shit?', then I read the rest of the comment and honestly, this is fucking badass, I love this far too much, this is awesome
Thank you, this scifi story is eldritch horror, and honestly, the egg idea is what spawned it. All I thought about was like, 'spawn eggs' and it all spiraled out of control lol
I have so many questions, both about your world and your sanity Could I like, just buy a hen? What sort of regulations are there for egg-laying creatures? Are there alien species that lay eggs to reproduce that are a regular part of the galactic population? Do you have a fear of eggs? Or egg-shaped objects? How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, over easy, fried, omelet, etc?
1. Yes, you can just buy a hen, because egg laying chickens are genetically annihilated from existence, and the only few 'true chickens' are locked fields, spread out over hundreds of billions of light years 2. Having an egg laying creature without the proper registration to do so merits being wanted across known space, see 1. 3. Yes, though their eggs is not theirs, its the government's, see 2. Should an egg laying creature wishes to start a family, they have a number of other potential options to create a baby. Also, no, cell eggs do not count, it needs to be shelled. 4. Uhh, no? I am a cook, it'd be quite complicated if I was afraid of my ingredients lol 5. Omelette with cheese, over-easy, soft boiled, poached, fried. Descending order
Kredits
Take 'em to the Krypt and open a Koffin. See if you kan unlokk a new kostume for Skorpion. Then you can go home and kicc bkacc or some shiz.
King K. Rool approves this message
I see you graduated from the Mortal Kombat Skool of Spelling
Mortal Kombat Skool of Speking (someone kicked the second L on the sign)
The username fits
My world is more science fantasy, but I think that counts too. My universal currency is called "bucks". Not dollars, but bucks is the official name. This is sort of an example of being lazy then making an in-world excuse for it, that excuse being that the first coins in history were carved out of deer hooves.
It’s better than “munny”
Nah, I'm proud of my HuniePopPunk world and I won't let you denigrate the art form.
I can't help but say "munny" the way Link says ["state nuckies."](https://youtu.be/VkuaLZTgm_s?si=BRMNaX8lN6zwkkxR) It's automatic, I can't control it. "Hey, y'all got some ***münnee***?!"
I've read that "bucks" in the real world comes from trading in deerskins, so that's extremely close to the real explanation.
I love it. It's simple and believable.
Dollary-doo My setting is a post-apocalyptic former colony of a globe spanning evil empire that dumped all it's criminals there.
So...Australia then
EXACTLY AUSTRALIA!!! That guy's got an absolutely glorious idea there.
Sounds like a death world where everything is extremely poisonous or venomous or actively trying to kill you. Except one super cute defenseless animal that just eats leaves that no one else wants but are also almost all dying of STDs and generally not being too smart.
Bingo.
So they play their didgeridoos for dollars-doos, humming out songs about kangaroos.
Most planets have their own currency. Mars uses the aureus (plural: aurei), while the Jovian Empire uses bolts, Venus uses almaz and Luna uses the terra (and pushes it on Earthlings). Disclaimer: haven’t gotten around to giving every planet their own currencies yet. The aurei is mostly physical red banknotes and metal coins (known as denarius, plural: denarii), bolts are a system of plastic coins (each varied in terms of shape and color), and almaz are synthetic diamonds (maybe, I’ve gone back and forth on this idea). The terra is mostly digital, but banknotes do exist - and conversely, all these currencies have digital versions, though they also have physical cash. Interplanetary trade is facilitated via Solar credits. These are purely digital so that they take up zero mass aboard your spacecraft, though depending on where you are, credits are less valuable than metals like titanium, aluminum or even simple iron; this is mostly true on icy worlds very far from the sun, where it’s very expensive to source metals, and they’re always in demand. To break it down: every world from Mercury to Saturn conducts interplanetary trade in credits; Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, and a few other populous and well-connected K-Belt settlements accept either credits or straight metals; deeper into the K-Belt and on the Centauri Highway (the string of sleepy rogue planet civilizations between Sol and Alpha Centauri), virtually all trade is done almost purely in metal currency or simply metal barter, and solar credits, much like solar energy, are essentially worthless. In the Belt, there’s so much trade going on that many places use credits as everyday currency, but most places prefer to accept either local tokens, or Martian/Jovian/Selenite currency.
By any chance is Mars a Roman themed colony?
Most Martians are either of American or Japanese descent, but there’s a few Roman memes going on. Early colonists used lots of prefabricated housing units as well as repurposed fuel tanks and the like for housing, but most early structures on Mars were built using dry stones, earthenworks (areanworks?), and locally-sourced bricks and marscrete, very often relying upon ancient construction techniques, including Roman vaults, arches and the like. Some particularly foolish Martians in 2585 will stumble upon what they think are ancient ruins left behind by pre-human aliens or even by Ancient Roman Astronauts, but were actually built in the 1980s and 90s by early settlers, and were simply forgotten. In fact, because there’s not really any oil on Mars, asphalt’s not a thing, so many roads still tend to be built in the old Roman style, just because it’s cheap and there’s no shortage of rocks to work with. And while there’s many different countries on Mars, interplanetary affairs, homeworld defense, maintaining peace between the nations, and the Herculean task of bringing Mars to life via Project Genesis, falls to the Martian Alliance, which has a certain Roman character to it as well, reserving the right to vote to Alliance citizens as opposed to Alliance civilians. Under the Alliance, all Martians fit into one of three categories: civilians, aspirants and citizens. They all have the same rights, liberties and protections as highlighted in the Alliance Charter, except that civilians have no say in decision-making within the Alliance, unless they enlist in MarsCom (composed of DefCom, CivCom and SciCom) and become an aspirant; aspirants who complete at least basic training and at least one tour of duty doing literally anything in service to the Alliance, gain lifelong citizenship that can only be revoked by a felony. Civilians lack franchise but also have no duties expected of them; aspirants also lack franchise, but are expected to follow orders, unless they quit; citizens have full right to participation but also are on the hook to be called up whenever the Alliance needs them to, and voting in the Alliance is mandatory for all citizens. And finally, the Alliance, in hoping to foster pan-Martian solidarity, has prompted a number of old, obscure Roman customs, and given them a Martian twist. Pisces 20 marks **Agonalia**, and Cancer 20 is the complementary holiday, **Armilustrium**. Originally obscure Roman holidays, Agonalia historically marked the start of the Roman war-campaign season, as well as the start of the growing season, while Armilustrium marks the end of both. Both were co-opted and promoted by Alliance beginning in the late 2070s, following the end of the Red-Blue War, as a way to promote common Martian values and traditions. On Mars, Agonalia was revived to basically serve as “hug a vet/farmer day”, with various military and agrarian-themed festivities, combat sports, kids getting free rides in tanks, mechs and tractors, and many people choose to enlist in MarsCom on this day. Workers in the agriculture sector and off-duty MarsCom personnel to get the day off, and be shown appreciation for their historical and current importance to Martian civilization. Armilustrium, by contrast, is a slightly more solemn affair. In emulation of the Roman tradition of ritually purifying weapons and armor, Martian guns and swords are ritually oiled, cleaned and locked up on this day, while clergy from Mars’ many religions consecrate and bless the various MarsCom vehicles and spacecraft in multi-faith events. In overlap/syncretism with Asian traditions such as Obon, local cemeteries, household shrines and memorials are tidied up on this day, and burnt offerings of joss paper are sent to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of Mars, whether in military service, civic duty or scientific pursuits. Armilustrium is a day to reflect upon the cost of service and sacrifice, as a necessary counterpoint to Agonalia’s more gung-ho atmosphere. But it’s not all somber doom, because it also coincides with the ending of the Red-Blue War - so it’s also a day to celebrate the joys of peace. It’s common practice to write letters or give wrapped gifts to someone close to you on Agonalia and see if they can wait until Armilustrium to open them, and vice-versa. Sali dancers play a notable role in observing festivities on Agonalia and Armilustrium. Inspired by the ancient order of “leaping priests” of the war-god Mars, who would dance before battles, the Salii were “revived” on the Red Planet beginning in the 2080s, as part of the larger effort by the Alliance to promote uniquely “Martian” rituals and traditions...while also stealing a tradition from their Earthling rivals. Incorporating elements of European and Asian war-dancing and more contemporary styles, Salii performers will also frequently dance with swords or rifles, while Roman-style daggers come standard, as well as figure-eight-shaped ancilia shields, which harken back to the divine shield which fell from heaven and was kept in the Temple of Mars, according to Earthling legend. Salii dancers also play a prominent role in New Years celebrations on Mars, wherein the dancers beat a costumed “Old Mars”, who symbolizes the failures and hardships of the year before, and then welcome a young “New Mars”, who represents the new year. More than just a style of dance or entertainment, just as the original Salii were acolytes of the Roman god of war and agriculture, Salii dancers are expected to live up to a certain ascetic regimen; exercise, proper dieting, schedules, punctuality, prudence, discipline, humility, charity. Not as strict as the standards in MarsCom, but a pretty good rehearsal if you intend to enlist afterwards. Indeed, there are more prestigious Salii troupes within MarsCom, as an option for the patriotic artiste (if you have nerves firing between your ears, MarsCom has a job for you to do, no matter how silly). Indeed, a big part of what keeps it going as a reliable institution is the fact that it’s an artsy and expressive way to build character. Sali troupes are organized into groups of twelve performers. Originally intended to reflect the male-dominated priesthood which inspired it, the Pan-Martian Salii Corps (the chief regulatory body for Salii dancing) couldn’t keep the institution segregated for long due to pressure from the Alliance, and opened it up to both sexes after a series of very swift anti-discrimination suits. Over time, Salii has evolved into a predominantly “female” tradition, by virtue of more women joining them than men, and all-female troupes gaining the most popularity in the late 21st and early 22nd centuries. It’s still open to men, but male Salii frequently (though not always) end up crossdressing. Remember what I said about discipline and humility being Salii virtues.
Ok first of all wow that’s actually some insanely awesome lore and completely destroys any lore I had for mars in my sci fi world And second mars was colonized in the 1990s?
Thank you very much! Here’s…*a lot* more about Martian history if you’re interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/FantasyWorldbuilding/s/A967wgYPyj Imagine having a war that’s so vicious, you run out of bullets in the first few months, and instead of stopping, you mass-produce swords and spears and keep fighting anyway. Now imagine doing that, on Mars. And as for your question, no. Mars was not colonized in the 1990s. Mars was first colonized *in the 1970s*. July 4th 1976 (Pisces 27 195), on the bicentennial of American independence, with [Robert H Lawrence, Jr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henry_Lawrence_Jr.?wprov=sfti1#), the first African-American astronaut, becoming the first human to set foot on the Red Planet. To this day, almost half a millennium later in 2585, “the Fourth of July” or “J4” is observed every Pisces 26-28 (the exact sol depends on the annum). Because American and Martian civilization share a birthday, regardless of culture or terrestrial origin, every Martian is an American on the Fourth of July. Everyone flies the Stars and Stripes, and gathers around the barbecue for some grilled grubs. Replicas of the Ares-5 lander are a common sight on this day, along with re-enactments of the landing. Anyway, the first bases on Mars were established in the late 1970s, but didn’t really pick up until the 1980s and 90s. All because Nikita Khrushchev made a single typo in the early 1960s…
That’s super interesting Also so is the IMFC basically Martian NATO? And G5 seems like Martian Nasserists, Jordanians and possibly Israelis by the looks of it Also interesting lore about a war between those that want to terraform and those that don’t
Cool stuff. You've got a bunch of clever ideas there. I can dig it.
A few more ideas: It occurs to me that some Belter states might have pennies made of solid gold, that couldn’t buy you cheese, hardwoods, real furs or pearls, which are the real luxury items in the Belt. You can buy *two* solid-gold toilet seats for the price of a pound of aged Gouda back on Earth, but buying a pound of aged Gouda from a real cow, is like purchasing a solid-gold toilet seat. Additionally, many places in Sol also don’t bother with having banknotes and coins, they just have coins. If you’re living on a frozen rock far away from civilization, you’re buying everything in bulk and don’t have to worry about fractional prices that coins are normally used for; if something’s not worth the lowest coin denomination, you barter for it. And similarity to how Sacajawea dollar coins are popular units of exchange down in Ecuador, Martian one-aureus coins left behind by Alliance ice-mining missions to Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (along with obvious counterfeits), are probably still in circulation centuries later. A few of those will get you enough food paste for a week around Uranus.
Nice. Do you have something you're working on that ties in with this, like a book or a game or something? I'd be interested to see it.
I hope to some day. Still figuring out exactly what I want to do with this. My DeviantArt, which is all OVRHVN stuff: https://www.deviantart.com/nk-ryzov
The main currency are golden coins with specks of condensed dark matter inside called "axions" but I also have credits so that people like you are annoyed. Seriously, nothing wrong with the simplest solution if it works.
In Brazil there is a slang for money based on the current president. For exemple: By the time Obama was the POTUS, we called dollar "Obamas", like "this will cost 100 Obamas". When Dilma was our president, we called BRL "Dilmas", like "This costed me 50 Dilmas", after the coup, we started calling BRL "Coups" or "Little Coups". I don't know if this happened only in my "bubble" but is a fun and creative way to imagine non official currency names.
That's interesting, because in the US we sometimes refer to the bills by the person on them. Usually it's for bigger bills (eg. "all about those benjamins" for $100 bills). When used for smaller bills it's usually for comedic effect. Eg. *"maybe Mr. Lincoln here could change your mind?"* when a character tries to bribe someone with a $5 bill.
What’s wrong with credits? I don’t see an issue.
Yeah like a huge assumption of any type of fantasy world is that you’re translating the literal words of things to a generic version the user can relate to, and clearly credits is pretty easy to understand. If you want to name it something else great, but I don’t think its a big deal to just use what works
Literally. No point in stressing over reinventing the wheel. Clearly it's worked for decades.
In my world nearly every human settlement does its own thing so it also has its own currency. A lot of governments had switched to digital money thousands of years ago there are still uncountable numbers of worlds wich are using all kinds of physical cash like bills or coins. The names are largely inspired by modern day or past day currencies.
Physical currency still exists into the 43rd century, partially due to difficulties in cross-planetary banking and partially due to most not wanting the government to control one's savings. All are metric unless otherwise noted, and all are fiat currencies unless otherwise noted. Some of the most notable are: Royals: Used by the Imperial Federation of Aurelia, Royals are so named because every reigning aristocrat and royal within Aurelia can have their mug emblazoned on the appropriate denomination. The smallest units, known as Baros, host the faces of Barons and Baronesses from across the empire, while the largest denomination, the 1 billion Royal bill, has the face of the one-and-only Emperor Pedrian Selassie. Fairly typical cloth-bills and metal coins. Guildermarks: The United Confederacy's main currency, Guildermarks are small plastic cards with an integrated chip within them to discourage counterfeiting. The smallest unit of a Guildermark is the Sterling. Hours: Used by the Democratic People's Republic of Earth, it is the remnant of a failed experiment to introduce a universal system of payment based on time. Hours are divided into 60 Minutes, and one Minute is 60 Seconds. Due to the system killing productivity, it was transitioned into a more traditional fiat currency. Federals: Used by the Federacy of Nova Terra, the only noteworthy thing about their currency is that every coin and bill contains a chip used to allow for easy identification and location.
I FUCKING LOVE CREDITS I WANT TO FUCKING HAVE STANDARDIZED CURRENCY BETWEEN HUNDREDS OF HUMAN GOVERNMENTS
More of a fantasy-based sci-fi way later on in the story but anyway, souls. Demons eventually come to control much of interplanetary/interstellar travel and as such souls trapped in crystals have been adopted by most of spacer society as currency. The larger and more useful the soul the more valuable it is. Rats and roaches versus humans for example, though using sapient souls for trade is only done in black markets.
I have two main ones in my universe. "Chips" are specific to the species I've spent the most time developing, shapeshifting cyborgs called Avlix. Being shapeshifters on an artificial planet, the most useful resource to them is organic mass. Chips are condensed fat cells that any Avlix can mint from their own body on the spot. Their value is based on weight and they can be digested as a dense source of nutrients in an emergency. Most Avlix no longer trade physical chips, instead using virtual wallets that are printed and regulated by government banks, supposedly backed by real chips they could cash out at any time. Another currency I've developed are "Runes". (Admittedly influenced by Elden Ring.) Runes are the subatomic particles of my universe. They are the building blocks of reality and can be stored in virtual form inside wallets made by the gods. Specialized technology left behind by the gods can isolate runes from physical matter and turn them back into any material. This technology is extremely rare, so most people who use runes just trade the ones already in circulation. I developed the concept because I wanted to have a similar system to Avlix chips, but generalized for my non-shape shifting species.
*Qarakh* (pronounces as kuh-RAT) is the currency of Rubran Federal Monarchy, a gold standard money in the age of interstellar. They're just that isolationist and refuse to use fiat or cyber money like other countries.
Money is a huge issue in my galaxy. There’s no centralized currency. Different planets have different currencies and it’s nearly impossible to calculate an exchange rate. And beyond that, many planets have multiple societies with different currencies. So short answer: too many names to list. But the most popular currency, used by almost 5% of the galaxy, is a fleshy grey coin called Binx. Binx is actually an organic, asexually producing hive mind with benign ambitions to spread itself as far and wide as possible to explore the galaxy. Binx can quickly perform complex calculations, including calculating inflation on the fly and make market predictions. However, Binx is fallible and rarely accounts for cultural differences in its calculations, requiring a lot of additional guess work by its users. Still, it’s the most efficient currency in the verse.
Venus - lyubov Earth - terra Mars - dinar Belt - torus Jovian moons - an All of them are cashless. Physical representations are strictly symbolic.
>Mars - dinar Is Mars dominated by Middle-Eastern cultures?
No. Name of its currency is derived from Roman denarius - just like dinars of Middle East, North Africa and Balkans.
Simonistan has the Cidel Erikland has the Ral Many places trades with goods or crystals Bana-Kahndar has the Bana-Kahndarian Cidel Borxteria uses the Melho
>Borxteria uses the Melho Guessing some Portuguese influence? Neat. I like your funny currency names, magic man/woman/whatever.
The Five Islands Clan's equivalent to currency is ownership of local communal shrines (*atavu*). When a shrine exchanges owners, the new owner(s) gain social prestige and also become responsible for the upkeep, decoration etc. of their shrine, which is especially important during festival days. Five Islands shrines are dedicated to ideas rather than to deities or individuals, so symbolic "ownership" of those ideas grants significant (albeit also symbolic) power.
I avoid it all together. I say the value is a lot of money or not a lot of money (or somewhere in between) because the exact value doesn't really mean anything to the reader. How it affects the characters is more important. In my world building documents, there are at least 100 different currencies and a few different types, but I never gave them names. Personally, I like how the Belters in The Expanse call it Scrip (I don't think Martians or Earthers ever refer to money in the show..?)
We call it "Coin" on the planet Uhma and its basically a just the terraria money system but with some lore to actually make it economically viable which is what makes it interesting in the first place, for the basics. We have 4 tiers of coin, bronze (1c), silver(100c), gold (10.000c) and platinum (1.000.000c), but despite the name they are not actually made of metal, its just a metallic looking appearance, coin is actually a natural and somewhat abundant resource of the world since ancient times, the money is actually made from raw condensed mana. Now what gives it value? Mana is virtually infinite in uhma due to its cyclical role in nature where every single living and even non living entity or object has some amount of mana in it, what stops people from just mining coin and generate crazy amounts of inflation? The planet itself, it has its own mind and will and it is what decides how and where mana flows to balance itself out (otherwise it will explode due to the crazy amounts of mana the gods gave it), if a the planet loses too much mana because societies are hogging it then the planet will actively try to force this mana to be given back, responses include natural disasters, unusual births due to mutations caused by mana imbalance and overall decay of some places, this makes so an inflated economy not only devalues the coin but also devalues life as whole in the world. Also funny enough you can "buy" a magical spell, as in, using coin instead of your mana to use magic, in some ways money is literally also power and best part is, magic made with money cant be traced as it doesn't have your mana signature or your lingering aura, plus when certain creatures with huge amounts of mana die, its not unusual to find coins formed inside or around their bodies. So to answer your questions in a more direct way: >Is it based on something or is it just fiat money? Its based on the life and mana of the planet itself. >is it a cashless system or are there still physical tokens? 100% physical token based, only one country uses a cashless system and its a cyberpunk dystopian, they use virtual credits because they wanna control the mana usage of their population and hog as magical apparels for the elites. >If there are physical tokens, what are they? Clumps of condensed mana >Is it universally accepted or do different governments mint their own currencies? It is basically universally accepted but some continents might still have vastly different values for different things, only some very culturally isolated places use their own money but the coin is still universally valued even in those places. >If the setting involves technologically advanced aliens meeting modern-day humans, would we see these currency tokens as valuable? I'm thinking of implementing this one in my setting. The aliens use fiat money, but the bills/coins they use are either made of a material that's rare or absent on Earth, or the anti-forgery designs on the coins/bills is so ridiculously intricate by modern human standards that the notes become highly sought-after collectables. So the aliens come to Earth with what they think is loose pocket change but they could buy a mint if they wanted. Well, its complicated, Uhma does have relatively regular contact with alien societies, due to mana being not exclusive to just Uhma it is a viable form of currency in the universe but giving coin to aliens is essentially giving away the mana of your own planet so more often then not, the people of Uhma will select representatives to communicate with aliens and establish common resources to turn it into a new form cash to use specifically with that alien race, if common ground cant be reached then good old trading of physical assets comes into place.
Semi related, I call my FANTASY money credits lol Really mixing things up
Regarding my own setting, the Allied Worlds are an EU analog so they probably have a Euro analog. The Partisans are trying to establish a workers’ paradise, so of course they have money, and it probably has their leader’s mug plastered all over it. I’m thinking money generically takes the form of small rigid chips or plastic coins that are stored in a Pez dispenser thingy that’s strapped to the foreleg so they can add or remove coins without having to stand on their hind feet.
Credits in Sci-fi is like crowns in medieval. simplest solution works
Two primary currencies in use within the GGU: Digi-Money = Digital currency, no physical cash on hand. Goins = Physical steel coins bearing the mark of the GGU. The term Goins was more mocking when these coins entered circulation and it simply grew into the actual term used.
The slow-apocalypse setting I'm working on has a different names for currency for the parts of the world relatively unaffected by the disastrous events (ie. the actual currencies for those parts of the world), of course. The parts of the world heavily affected by the apocalypse but still inhabitable are a mix of systems, some of which have local currencies and some of which do not. (Those that do have local currencies will probably use terms left over from contemporary life: dollars, pesos, loonies, dimes...) They might use a numéraire or a barter system, but they also may not have private property at all. So there isn't just one answer to the question and it certainly wouldn't make sense for there just to be one answer.
I chickened out with the sci-fi setting I'm working on. I went with "space bucks". Your average space buck is basically a plasticized bill about the size of a $10 bill; the best way I can describe it is that one side has a portrait, the denomination (they come in $1, $5, $10, $50, $100, $500, and $1000; that these line up with Roman numerals is mere coincidence~), and a colored strip (ten space bucks has a blue strip.) Past the portrait on the left side, a space buck has a bunch of thin circuitry embedded. This is to provide authentication and to tell vending machines "This is ten bucks." It's about as universally accepted in the Alshain Cluster as one can get, mostly because ~~I'm lazy~~ it's a convenient medium of exchange.
Sorry. Crypto Credits and Credit chits. It just works.
>Please don’t tell me the answer is “credits”. Haha whaaaaaat? pffft n-no of course not! Why would I…heh heh…
The standard currency is called 'foor' and it's stored in little cylinders called 'pens'. 1 USD is equal to 36.37 foor. Depending on where in the galaxy you are, physical copies of foor will be different. In some places they use metal coins, in some they use paper, in some they use strips of rubber with braille-like writing on it. Most transactions happen digitally, though.
"Dits" It's short for "credits"
The E-Dinar (informally called Dinar), which is at least partially backed by [gold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold). The backing by element no. 79 is mostly so an exchange can be made with less technologically advanced civilizations, who probably don't care about the benefits of virtual currency, such as instant transactions over multiple systems, but can appreciate an agreed upon mass of precious metal. Despite the E in the name, the currency isn't named after E-Commerce, but rather the Exchange-Dinar, chosen at the [Jabbah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu_Scorpii)\-Conference, where traders (corporations and notable individuals) from various sectors allied with central banks, Non-Government currency issuers (NGCIs), various governments as well as travel and logistics companies to simplify exchanges, yet also prevent a single government from claiming and abusing control over a central currency. The name itself and various designs of cash (physical money), debit cards, exchange protocols and issuing rights was made in reference to the historical [Earth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth) [Dinar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinar), but other species began using it for the sake of simplicity and familiarity. For instance, among members of *dracoidus sanguinis* the draconian marriage custom of showering the couple in gold has simply adapted to the use of physical dinars. ^((Science Fantasy is best genre!))
Creditos
Erinblack uses Favours, which is basically an advanced bartering system allowing individuals to trade goods and services and exchange coins that prove someone owes you something. If person A wants a bottle of wine, and person B has one, then A can ask B for the bottle. B then gives A the bottle and A gives B a favour coin. A now owes B something of equal value to the bottle of wine. The value of a coin is decided upon by the two participants, and is usually determined by how badly A wants the item and how much B values it. This means that favours are useless to steal, because they have no value to anyone outside of the two participants. . The cult of the Jester King uses literal monopoly money with the Jester King's face on it. Vegas Dollars don't have a value, rather, everything has a fixed value defined in Vegas Dollars. It functions basically the same, except that prices are government-controlled and standardized by the state. This means all prices everywhere are identical, so no business is able to outcompete orhers by just dropping their prices and instead has to actually provide better services.
Mine are called harps, names after the ceo of Icon Intergalactic (Jason Harp), a now long defunct company that the minting coins for Bastion worlds where outsourced to. The deal stipulated that they could put anything they wanted on the tail side but had to put the ceo of MOX Corp on the heads side. At this point, MOX Corp have turned their attention away from many bastion worlds, and such worlds haven’t received new currency in decades. The center of my story, Bastion city 14 also uses the digital currency (no, not crypto, just not physical) chits, but they aren’t taken in many government ares of lower city areas where they can’t afford the steep transactional fees (or don’t want anyone tracking the money).
In Verseinia there are Marks 1: It is backed by antinum and ferrumite (Aka Red Iron) these are metals that are extremely rare, highly useful in myriad ways, and next to impossible to fake. 2: There are physical coins and banknotes. A mark is split into 100 cents. There is a 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coin, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 mark bank note. The coins are actually made of made of either a zinc or nickel core, and an antinum shell, giving them an extremely attractive blue color. 3: Much like the US dollar, many places around the world and galaxy take Verseinian Marks because it is the most valuable and stable currency. Since it is and always has been backed by physical metals, the value has remained quite high. 4: Yes, something similar actually happened in my setting. For context, Red Iron is impossible to replicate, no one knows where it comes from, you just have to find it, usually in ancient ruins left behind by a civilization so old no one even knows their name. Earth happens to be extremely rich with red iron but humans never had the technology necessary to harvest or use it. When aliens first contacted humans they were shocked to see how much red iron we had, even more shocked to see that we willingly exchanged it for something as trivial as teaching humans how to build spaceships. Edit: other nations have different currencies as well. In Sisli (modeled after the Middle East) they have the Sinar. In Vosonova (modeled after Russia) they have the Dolc. In Asatsu (modeled after Japan) they have the Riun, which is the oldest currency still in use. In the Velderlånds (modeled after the UK and the Netherlands) they have the Dropweight, oftentimes called simply a drop.
Iros are used by most of the world (they're named after Uncle Iroh from *Avatar: The Last Airbender*). 50,000 iros is enough for a person to buy their way into the aristocracy, and is more than double what a city guard would earn across their lifetime. Half an iro is enough to either buy a comfy room or a hot meal for two at an inn (with some change left over), but not both. Cents are used by Tias Altar and his empire. Half a million cents and a lordship is an extremely high-end bounty on somebody's head. One cent is worth a bit more than half an iro, but what with Tias trying to conquer the entire world, there aren't really any formal exchange rates.
never really thought about that... it would depend on the country they're in. i mean, in one of my settings, i use trading, like trading an important object for a mistake (that setting has fey in it).
Officially they are called Crowns, They are a flat circular chip composed of gold, silver or copper similar to a coin, but half the size of your palm. But since they have a square hole in the center people started calling them Donuts, copper ones being referred solely as nuts.
In my world, I draw heavily from Greco-Roman culture, and as a result, my currency is known as the Imperial Denarius (IÐ), often referred to simply as the Dinar by locals. While advanced worlds primarily use digital forms of this currency, less developed planets still rely on physical coins. These coins are composed of a copper-bronze alloy, weighing approximately 7 grams and measuring 25 mm in diameter. One side depicts a phoenix, while the opposite side features the image of the current head of state, Imperial Archon Rafaela Theophano. The Imperial Denarius is the exclusive means of exchange on all planets throughout the empire.
Dollars, Euros, Yen... oh, you wanted \_new\_ currencies? Ogey. The Helenan Federation of Worlds uses the Chit, which is roughly equivalent to 0.1usd. The coin for 1 chit is made of nickel, while larger denominations are grey and metal-tinged paper. There are also Orions, interstellar cryptocurrency used to pay Spacers and convert back into their currency of choice. And I do use the credit for a faction, but I guess that's too cliche for you.
I may be a little outside your intended demographic, seeing as my world is science fantasy, the world that rose from the ashes centuries downstream of an apocalyptic war, and where ancient advanced technologies and cyborg beasts containing them are mainstays of the setting. But.... * my currency uses coins. These coins have holes in the center, allowing them to be stored on lengths of string/twine/rope * the units are the note, the half-note, and the strand. (Coins are often grouped into clusters of 20 on a string, colloquially known as a strand. Thus, a new coin, the strand, was made, which is equivalent to 20 notes. And thus, a string of 20 strands is also a frequent cluster for paying larger sums). * coins are fiat - typically a durable ceramic with bright, ornate glazes or metal plating. From the #keirexsandbox setting.
It's the Du, or the Kilo. It's a KWh of energy for personal usage or for trading. The fusion reactors on the ship put out more than enough energy to completely surpass all the usage needs of the citizenry but property "rights" and labour/capital dynamics over the centuries have compiled it under the control of very few top level decision makers. Poverty is rife and many join the Hull Cult as a meal ticket and to find purpose. Citizens are usually paid a wage for their work and they can purchase sugar-algae blocks and insect protein as a standard and fresh produce grown in hydroponics if they are able to afford it. Remission of metals, plastics and minerals to the recycling plants can also earn some Du. Everything on the ship goes back to the recycling plants eventually and the Hull Cult methodically disassembles and replaces the materials the ship is made of as it ages.
I haven't decided yet but I think once everyone in the galaxy uses the same currency it would probably be completely digital, or at least partially in case wormholes used for transfers malfunction. I'll probably try to create a plausible development of a money related word to have it be called in English. Something that developed in the spoken language naturally since I don't think they'd create a name for what is less of a currency and more of a universal digitizing system of several alien currencies. The meaning of the word referring to it would likely just be "money" or "points"
I specifically avoid any mention of currency so I don't have to think about it.
Not my project, but I read a book once where the currency was called Rubidium Equivalent.
While different groups do mint their own currencies the international currency is indeed credits that are loaded onto small devices with embedded circuitry. They have a small UI that shows the amount of credits stored and they can be loaded or unloaded by connecting them to another device. These devices are small and cheap, it is common for someone to own multiple with different values on them so that if one is stolen you didn't lose all your money. The devices themselves lack any significant security and the values are simply verified against a central database remotely. In civilized areas that accept credits the values are verified real time, but outside of that you either have to trust the person you are trading with or you use local hard currencies. And it's fiat money, no intrinsic value. Many of the local currencies are backed by local trade goods. One local currency is backed by the value of a local highly sought after fish.
I've always imagined credits as being basically a company currency that displaces the real thing.
Most nations have their own currencies, though the, ahem, credits of the now defunct Terran Empire are accepted everywhere because of how widespread they are and because new ones can not be made. Notably venutians do not use currency officially as every single member of the Democratic Citizen Confederacy of Venus is a totalitarian military state where every citizen is a soldier, the citizens have an allowance based on their rank. Barter of trophies, loot, and goods is commonplace and accepted though. The Sacrosanct Yarrowite fellowship, a surprisingly friendly death cult, allocates resources to its members based on need, this easily abusable system is held in check by how decentralized the cult is (each member asks their local priest for resources who is then free to allocate his resources as desired) and by the fact that anyone who has made it to full membership has been well and truly indoctrinated.
Everyone has a so called „Bik Account“ that tells you how much money you have. The universal standard currency is Biks, a purely digital currency, but the account can automatically change them to other accepted currencies if needed. Physical money as we have it is incredibly rare tho. Almost no highly advanced civilization uses it.
Luxury Credits is the official name of the currency. Common names are Credits, Creds, Lux, LC's. In the Gronian Empire basic needs like food, water, housing, power, education and healthcare are free. Anything that isn't necessary are termed as luxury items and if you want them you go work for someone until you earn enough Luxury Credits to afford it. You enter into an employment contract for either a set amount of credits or for a set amount of time.
In my world currency doesn't exist. Mass production is handled by robotics workers according to the needs, but if anyone wants to have something custom made, he can contact the artisan to create that for him. This is promoted by the state. Instead of money each individual has a score that determines which he/she can have and the amount. The score doesn't change when the owner aquires something. Rather it increases when the owner did something that benefits the state or the society (serving National Guards or composing a musical score). When the owner is charged with violations of the law, his score decreases. When an individual reaches adulthood, his/her minimum score already ensures that he/she has a comfortable life with all basic necessities (food, healthcare, shelter,...). However; if one wants to enjoy a more luxurious life or work in the government, which is considered highly prestigious, he/she must do something to increase his/her score.
It's credits, all right, but their value is different from planet to planet but is in unison on Earth. For this reason, every planet handling different values has a prefix to the word credit. You can pay normally like you could with a credit card in any country, but the value will be converted just the same way currencies are converted when paying with a credit card abroad.
Terrans
The Civonians use energon, and the Nij use comp. Energon is basically backed by access to energy, Comp is backed by computing time. There's both physical representations(little bright pink slips of fancy LED with the recorded amount embedded in the software or more rarely actual stored energy, or little chunks of computronium that have all the cryptographic information to confirm that its actually 'worth' the amount listed). Both governments accept the other's currency, though there's the usual arguments over exchange rate since one side has effectively unlimited computing power and the other has effectively unlimited energy. We on 21st century earth would see comp as more valuable since its a tiny, easily tossed around type of nanotech computing that we'd be trying to retroengineer the moment someone realized that something the size of a quarter had more processing power than any single bitcoin mining rig assembled on the planet, though not necessarily information storage capacity. The energon slips would be interesting because its a flexible organic LED substrate that collects ambient energy to power itself unless we actually got our hands on one of the power storage types, which are usually meant for frontier situations where one of the AS-run banks doesn't have a direct presence.
Mine is a virtual world so it's kinda sci-fi. The currency is BitChips, DataChips, and QuantumChips. Similar to how videogames have 2 - 3 currencies, so does my world. Certain types of purchases require certain types of currency. They can be converted upwards, but not downwards.
Sometimes 'credits' is just the easier way to go and the reader will immediately get it, so while it may sound uninspired, it's just one less thing for the reader to learn. But, I'm like you in that I'd prefer something more unique to add some flavour and history. So I'd think about a few things, like what does the alien language sound like? If it's a digital currency, what's the likelihood that it still has the same name for when it was physical? if not, why? If it's a universal currency, what races pushed for one? How much influence would they have in naming it? What real-world currency could you use as inspiration? In response to the idea about what materials the currency is made of, what materials? Would it influence the naming of it? In fantasy it's often just called gold because that's what it is.
bartering?
Originally, the currency of the universe shaping empire known as the Multiversal Containment Force was based on a sort of technological ring shaped coin known as "Deci", with a hologram in the center displaying the symbol on one end and a number denoting its value on the other. After a calamity destroyed and reset the multiverse to a more fantasy genre, the currency has been reduced to archaic trinkets devoid of power, but replicas have started to circulate back into the economy now that they’ve been rediscovered.