Friday, November 19, 2010

Electrum standard

Both Bat in the Attic and The Society Of Torch, Pole and Rope have posted about it reciently. The silver standard. Replacing the gold prices in the equipment lists with silver. I don't want to do that. I admit that the prices are steep and tend to devalue gold quite a bit. My goal from the onset has been to change as little as possible and to make it work for me by changing the way I look at it.

Traditionally gold has traded with silver at a ratio ranging from 20:1 to 50:1. The Roman Aureus was valued at 25 silver Denarii. So one gold piece is equal to ten silver isn't right. But it would be if the gold piece wasn't pure gold. Enter Electrum, a gold and silver alloy used in coins from ancient Egypt and Greece. So make the gold pieces electrum and presto , simple easy coinage that reflects the real world. Of course I have posted on this before;

Historical proof of Gold to Silver exchange standard