Currency

The primary currency in the empire is the Imperial Cash, which since the 5th century has been divided into 1,200 wen. 1,200 ces makes 1 tael.

There are several pieces currently in broad circulation within the Empire:

The Ces coin , a flat square crafted from bronze or brass and plated with silver. Marked with the Cash symbol (usually romanized as C). The following denominations are most commonly seen, each being marked with the Roman Numeral and the Old Imperial Notation:

1 Cash
15 Ces
45 Ces
120 Ces

Higher denomination wen coins are made from nickel and copper and rimmed with silver. They take the shape of flat discs that have a hole bored through the middle. They are marked with the Roman numeral, but have the value etched in old Imperial Notation around the four sides of the inner hole. The following denominations are the most commonly available:

600 wen
750 wen
900 wen

Lower denomination coins are crafted from brass, with an octagonal hole through the middle.Traditionally, these were strung together for easier transactions, as higher denomination coins were not in broad circulation until the beginning of the 5th Dynasty. These are marked with the Roman Numeral, with the Low Rudanese Tally system along the outer. The following denominations are at present minted:

15 wen
30 wen
150 wen
300 wen

The following pieces have not been regularly minted since the era of the Shen-Guyo Emperor, nearly two centuries ago, but may still be come across in provincial markets or elsewhere in the Empire. Many are still coined at the Provincial Mint of Hanxi, meeting the local market. Coins from the Mint at Jinxing are, without exception, made from gold and marked with the seal of the Governor. They are not legal tender beyond Jinxing System, though in the outer sphere they are normally accepted at face value.

450 wen (a popular coin in Triad gaming houses, usually played alongside house discs marked with the Triad's symbol)
600 wen
3 Ces
6 Ces

Tael coins exist, but are unlikely to be run across by the average tourist. A handful are minted at the beginning of each new era or to commemorate weddings or births in the Imperial family. They are made from electrum, and marked on one side with the character ? (for stag) and the other side with the Lesser Dragon Seal. The Master of the Mint traditionally places his own signature repeatedly along the edge.

Non-Tender Coins

Despite the frequent claims of traders when dealing with tourists, there is not now, nor has there ever been, a 1 We coin. We coins offered in change are universally fraudulent, and the name Wen derives from the clan name of the Marquis Wen, and is not a plural. 3 wen coins have not been issued since the sixth century, and are no longer legal tender. 420 wen coins have not been issued since the reign of the Yungzhiwang Emperor, who took exception to how the characters in use at the time resembled those of his birth name and banned them.

Coins from dynasties preceding the present are not legal tender under any circumstances, and are mostly collected by antiquarians or scholars. The only such coins likely to be run across date from the Reigns of the Usurpers, as attempts to collect and melt them down were only made sporadically, and 5th Dynasty coins from the reign of the ZhanZhu Emperor, which are frequently debased. Law abiding Imperial subjects are required to turn in such coins for destruction, but passing them off to foreigners is a frequent tactic.

Counterfeit Coins

In general, Ces coins worth counterfeiting are made from materials that would be worth as much, if not more, minted. However, the raw materials may not be exchanged for goods under the Wangwei de Qianbi (Coinage of the Throne) law, leading the unscrupulous or overly proud attempt to fill their need. Very rarely, coins plated with electrum or silver, usually over nickel or bronze, are passed off as the real thing.

Occasional operators have established false mints to produce low quality wen denominations for use in giving change. One counterfeiting ring was not discovered for nearly a century after their operations ended, by which time their families were deemed immune to prosecution by the Prefectural Court under the Doctrine of Reasonable Controls.

These days, suspect coins are meant to be tested for their conductivity, but few merchants have regular access to the mechanisms or crystals needed to do so, and there have been no efforts by the Secretariat to provide such. Instead, scales are used in conjunction with a book of weights. Or the ISI are called in. Or both.

Punishment for counterfeiting can range from death to the 9th Deprivation (Purge of the Family). But criminals need to be caught before they're hanged, and rare is the Watch Officer eager to throw a lockdown on a market, or cooperate with an ISI agent who orders such done.

It is estimated that between 3% and 8% of money on Rudan, and 15% to 30% of the money in the Middle and Outer Spheres, are counterfeit.

Purchasing Power

300 wen is generally considered enough to feed a family of four for a week. 'Feed them what?' is the traditional question, and it deserves a fair answer. It does not stretch to a daily meal of cooked quality meat, though you could buy a kebab or a meat garnish from a market vendor for no more than 60 wen if you weren't too picky.

When the Treasury says 'enough to feed a family of four for a week', they usually mean enough to buy sufficient rice, vegetables and a sprinkling of plant-based protein that meets the official dietary guidelines of the Secretariat, at full market price, during a time when the granaries are full. Famine is rare in the imperial heartlands, and is usually fought by release of the public grain or, rarely, importation from another prefecture or planet.

Generally, meat at every meal is within reach for the middle classes, with a sufficient amount of animal protein for a family of four costing between 150 wen and 945 wen, while meat of superlative quality (often imported or specially raised) can be purchased at prices that can begin at 1 Ces for even an individual serving.

To economize, everyday clothing is often made at home even in the middle classes, either by hand or with an AutoTailor. A suit of funeral or temple clothing on Rudan Prime can easily cost 800 wen and up for an acceptable level of quality, though the market for patched and refinished garments has always remained high.

Wages

The officially calculated median wage on Rudan Prime is 230 Ces (276000w). The vast majority of the Rudanese make much less than this. A senior doctor at a well-funded hospital could expect to make 300 Ces (360000w), while a Post Nmmr Chief would make roughly 90 Ces (108000w). An Officer of the Watch of Detective rank is officially entitled to 121 Ces (121,200w) per year.

The highest paid private citizen, Hylar Gu (an actor and producer currently under contract to Heart of Fire Pictures), made an estimated 8400 Ces (1080000w). The Phot-Chu-Kip Merchant Consortium earned a combined income of 30,000 Ces (36000000w) from their investments and business according to the tax rolls.

The highest paid official, Grand Secretary Greizon, made an estimated 6000 Ces (7200000w) last year according to the Great Feathered Book, making him the second highest paid Grand Secretary in the history of the office (after Duke Hyla Rami) and the fourth highest paid Mandarin in imperial history, Great Secretary Kies Lorelle, made 5300 Ces (6360000w), making her the highest paid woman in imperial history (Grand Secretary Kai Daeri, later Consort of the East) refused all but a token salary during her service).

House Sifar, the oldest and grandest of the Princely House, claimed an income of 15,000 ces (18000000w) last year on its estates, while the household of the Grand Duke Drakkare provided evidence that its income was 3220 Wen (3864000w) from its investments and estates.

The Emperor officially earns 2000 Tael a year, which is 2400000 Ces, which is roughly 2880000000w. In practice, though, he makes X, where X is the entire GDP of the Empire. The practice of Emperors paying their own way died with the First Dynasty, and was an act of symbolic courtesy even then.