Thread by @couchguy

I keep seeing Kickstarters trying to promote sets of metal fantasy coinage for RPGs. They all look pretty… and they all cost SO much more than using real local (in my case) coinage instead. What am I missing? (Thread)

I am NOT throwing shade at the people making these. They are always sincere folks offering pretty stuff at the best prices possible - but it is NOT possible to undercut the US Mint. Most (probably all) national coinage costs much more to create than the face value.

If it entirely tosses you out of your role-playing to use modern national coinage, OK… but consider. Is “generic” gold, silver & copper coinage so VERY much better that you want to spend so much more to obtain it? If the answer is “yes”, go for it.

I love props, mind you, and I get it that cardboard or plastic coins may have the wrong “feel” for you. But try this: 1 US penny = 1 “copper” coin. 1 US nickel = 1 “silver” coin. 1 US quarter = 1 “gold” coin. Cost for 100 of each = USD $31.00.

You can go to dimes for gold and bring that price down a lot.
Disappointed by the color? Paint them & seal them. (Shocked? You can pay more than twice that for stamped brass, if you want.)

Your players cart a lot of gold? Use dimes as gold pieces and quarters as a coin representing 20 gold pieces (or more). (20 dimes cost $2 US, 1 quarter costs $.25 US.)

I’m just saying... I’ve never been able to make economic sense out of buying metal fantasy coinage for RPGs. YMMV, of course. I’m a bit of a miser when it comes to that. For the difference in cost, I can stretch my suspension of disbelief a bit. (End thread)

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