Az Emberek Economics

Most of the Családi within the Republic function under a monetized system of capitalism with regulated guilds and mechanisms in place to discourage graft and corruption. The practical result of this is that, Description::in short and brief, merchants are allowed and encouraged to make a modest profit as long as neither the seller nor the buyer are taken advantage of. In some quarters, barter or exchange is acceptable, but the use of specie is more commonplace.

The base unit of currency is the ‘ring’, named for the Ring Cowrie shell. For more expensive purchases, one may use ‘Orbs’, carved and decorated amber spheres, or even an ‘Eye’, a small, carved pearl. An Orb is worth 20 Rings and an Eye 20 Orbs. As one may have noted, these are all organic, natural substances used as coinage. This practice was begun some thousand years ago to prevent an unscrupulous Earth-Drummer from transmuting mud into money. Today, few people in the Republic would consider gold, silver or gems as precious other than as something to sell to outsiders.

The Republic is sizable and diverse enough that the majority of commerce is conducted via an internal system of trade which is separate and distinct from external trade, which is normally restricted to specialty goods and items which are not domestically produced. External trade, both overland and naval, occur in special zones on the border areas and in large port cities which have more "relaxed" rules regarding profit margins and general guild activities. All trade, both internal and external, is strictly monitored and regulated by the Polgári of course, to ensure that the Republic gets its fair share.