Difference between revisions of "Imperial Currency"

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[[File:Cr10_note_600x480.png|thumb|Ten Imperial Credits (Cr10)]]
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{{Milieu header}}[[File:Cr10_note_600x480.png|thumb|Ten Imperial Credits (Cr10)]]
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"[[Imperial Currency]]:" The basic unit of legal tender in the [[Third Imperium]] is the Imperial credit.  
+
"[[Imperial Currency]]:" The basic unit of legal tender in the [[Third Imperium]] is the Imperial credit. A [[Imperial Currency|megacredit]] is one million credits. Megacredits are abbreviated [[MCr]]. {{Page cite|name= Starships|page=7|version=Classic Traveller}} The '''[[Imperial Credit]]''' is sometimes informally known as the CRIMP (Credit Imperial).
−
* The '''[[Imperial Credit]]''' is sometimes informally known as the CRIMP (Credit Imperial).
+
 
−
* A [[Imperial Currency|megacredit]] is one million credits. Megacredits are abbreviated [[MCr]]. {{Page cite|name= Starships|page=7|version=Classic Traveller}}
 
 
<small>For '''Combat Ribbon''' (CR) see [[Combat Service Ribbon]] or [[Combat Command Ribbon]]</small>
 
<small>For '''Combat Ribbon''' (CR) see [[Combat Service Ribbon]] or [[Combat Command Ribbon]]</small>
  
 
== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
 
== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
−
'''Credit''' (abbreviated [[Cr]]). The common Imperial monetary unit. A [[hand calculator]] costs Cr10. For very large amounts of money, the [[kilocredit]] (abbreviated [[KCr]]) represents a total of one thousand credits, and the [[megacredit]] (abbreviated [[MCr]]) represents a total of one million credits. A [[ship’s boat]] costs MCr16. Note that the abbreviation comes first, and there are no spaces before the number. Truly large concepts for money or value are called "aryu" (for [[RU]], [[resource unit]]).
+
'''Credit''' (abbreviated [[Cr]]). The common Imperial monetary unit. For very large amounts of money, the [[kilocredit]] (abbreviated [[KCr]]) represents a total of one thousand credits, and the [[megacredit]] (abbreviated [[MCr]]) represents a total of one million credits. Note that the abbreviation comes first, and there are no spaces before the number. Truly large concepts for money or value are called "aryu" (for [[RU]], [[resource unit]]).
  
 
Larger credit units ([[GCr]] or [[BCr]] for gigacredit or billion credits, and [[TCr]] for teracredit or trillion credits) are generally not used, at least for practical business matters. When talking about quantities of wealth that large, other attributes (such as location and form of the wealth) beyond sheer quantity become important enough that it is often more useful to speak of [[resource unit]]s.
 
Larger credit units ([[GCr]] or [[BCr]] for gigacredit or billion credits, and [[TCr]] for teracredit or trillion credits) are generally not used, at least for practical business matters. When talking about quantities of wealth that large, other attributes (such as location and form of the wealth) beyond sheer quantity become important enough that it is often more useful to speak of [[resource unit]]s.
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=== Currency Abbreviations ===
 
=== Currency Abbreviations ===
−
# [[Cr]]: Imperial Credit = 1.0 credit
+
# mCr: [[millicredit]] = 0.001 credit ''(unit of accounting/rounding only)''
−
# [[DCr]]: [[Decacredit]] = 10.0 credits
+
# cCr: [[centicredit]] = 0.01 credit
 +
# dCr: [[decicredit]] = 0.1 credit
 +
# '''[[Cr]]''': '''Imperial Credit''' = 1.0 credit
 +
# [[DCr]]: [[Decacredit]] = 10.0 credits ''<small>(uncommon)</small>''
 
# [[KCr]]: [[Kilocredit]] = 1,000.0 credits
 
# [[KCr]]: [[Kilocredit]] = 1,000.0 credits
 
# [[MCr]]: [[Megacredit]] = 1,000,000.0 credits
 
# [[MCr]]: [[Megacredit]] = 1,000,000.0 credits
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=== Physical Attributes ===
 
=== Physical Attributes ===
−
Imperial credits are almost impossible to counterfeit because of their unique method of manufacture. Plastic fibers are combined under high temperature and pressure and extruded as a rectangular bundle of great length. The different colored fibers form the pattern of the bill. It is not printed on but actually made a part of the structure of the note. The bundle is sliced to paper thinness, and a 14-digit alphanumeric (letter/number combination) is added for uniqueness.
+
Imperial credits are almost impossible to counterfeit because of their unique method of manufacture. Plastic fibers are combined under high temperature and pressure and extruded as a rectangular bundle of great length. The different colored fibers form the pattern of the bill. It is not printed on but actually made a part of the structure of the note. The bundle is sliced to paper thinness, and a 14-digit alphanumeric (letter/number combination) is added for uniqueness{{page cite|name=The Traveller Adventure|page=142|citeName=TravAdv142}}{{page cite|name=Imperial Encyclopedia|page=22|citeName=ImpEnc22}}.
  
 
=== Currency Denominations ===  
 
=== Currency Denominations ===  
−
Credit bills are issued in the following denominations:  
+
==== ''Coinage'' ====
−
* 10
+
: ''[[Plasteel]] coins'', manufactured in a similar manner in various shapes, are issued in the following denominations:  
−
* 20
+
:* ''The "Centi-credit" (Cr0.01)'' - ''<small>(discontinued - but still legal tender)</small>'' <ref><small>''Speculative detail by [[WHULorigan]] to account for the occasional use of the term''</small></ref>
−
* 50
+
:* ''The "Deci-credit" (Cr0.1)'' - ''<small>("Decim")</small>''<ref><small>''Speculative colloquialism by [[WHULorigan]]''</small></ref> ''<small>(discontinued - but still legal tender)</small>'' <ref><small>''Speculative detail by [[WHULorigan]] to account for the occasional use of the term''</small></ref>
−
* 100
+
::
−
* 500
+
:* The "Quarter-credit" (Cr¼ <small>or</small> Cr0.25) - ''<small>("Quarter" / "Quadran" <ref><small>''Speculative colloquialism by [[WHULorigan]]''</small></ref>)</small>''
−
* 1,000
+
:* The "Half-credit" (Cr½ <small>or</small> Cr0.5) - ''<small>("Semi-credit")</small>''
−
* 10,000 
+
:* The "One-credit" (Cr1)
 +
:* The "Five-credit" (Cr5) - ''<small>("Fiver" / "Quinquer" <ref><small>''Speculative colloquialism by [[WHULorigan]]''</small></ref> / "Quintner/Quinner/Quinn/ "Queen" " <ref><small>''Speculative colloquialism by [[WHULorigan]]''</small></ref>)</small>''
  
−
Plastic coins, manufactured in a similar manner in various shapes, are issued in the following denominations:  
+
: The ''larger coins'' are often called by informal names, which reflect their value:
−
* Quarter-  
+
:* The "kilo" (Cr10) - ''<small>(from the 10kg baggage allowance of the [[Low Passage]] ticket)</small>'' ''(= "1000 centicredits")''
−
* Half-  
+
:* The "ton" (Cr100) - ''<small>(from the 1000kg baggage allowance of the [[High Passage]] ticket)</small>'' ''(= "1000 decicredits")''
−
* 1
+
:* The "toi" (Cr500) - ''<small>(from the baggage allowance of a [[Luxury Passage]] ticket)</small>''
−
* 5
+
:* The "low passage" (Cr1,000) - ''<small>(from the price of the [[Low Passage]] ticket)</small>''
 +
:* The "high passage" (Cr10,000) - ''<small>(from the price of the [[High Passage]] ticket)</small>''
  
−
The larger coins are often called by informal names, which reflect their value:  
+
==== ''Bills'' ====
−
* The "kilo" (Cr 10)
+
: ''Credit bills'' are issued in the following denominations:
−
* The "ton" (Cr 100)
+
:* Cr10
−
* The "toi" (Cr 500)
+
:* Cr20 
−
* The "low passage" (Cr 1,000)
+
:* Cr50
−
* The "high passage" (Cr 10,000)
+
:* Cr100 
 +
:* Cr500 
 +
:* Cr1,000
 +
:* Cr10,000
  
 
=== Currency Dimensions ===  
 
=== Currency Dimensions ===  
−
Bills measure 75 millimeters x 125 millimeters; 1,000 bills stand 50 millimeters high and weigh 500 grams.
+
Bills measure 75 millimeters x 125 millimeters; 1,000 bills stand 50 millimeters high and weigh 500 grams. Imperial credits can be bulky in large quantities{{page cite|citeName=TravAdv142}}{{page cite|citeName=ImpEnc22}}.
−
 
 
−
Imperial credits can be bulky in large quantities.
 
  
 
=== Imperial Currency Usage ===
 
=== Imperial Currency Usage ===
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=== Imperial Banking ===
 
=== Imperial Banking ===
−
On sufficiently advanced worlds (TL8 or higher), transactions are usually electronic, authenticated and managed by bank servers and hand-held computers or personal comms. When traveling between systems, Traveller will need to arrange for their banking information to be sent ahead, or maintain separate accounts on the worlds that they frequent. Wandering Traveller will frequently have to resort to cash and/or tradable goods. {{Page cite|name=Core Rule book|version=New Traveller|page=91}}  
+
On sufficiently advanced worlds (TL8 or higher), transactions are usually electronic, authenticated and managed by bank servers and hand-held computers or personal comms. When traveling between systems, Traveller will need to arrange for their banking information to be sent ahead, or maintain separate accounts on the worlds that they frequent. Wandering Traveller will frequently have to resort to cash and/or tradable goods{{Page cite|name=Core Rule book|version=Mongoose 2nd|page=91}}.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Imperial Standard Credit Card]]''' This card is effectively a portable bank teller. A [[microprocessor]] unit tracks the account and contains information for personal identification. Made of ''[[plasteel]]'', the card is practically indestructible. It is nearly tamper-proof, in that most attempts to tamper with it merely result in blanking the card{{page cite|name= Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 24|artice= The Ship's Locker: The Credit Card|page=12|citeName=JTAS24_12}}.
 +
 
 +
Merchants in [[system]]s with a [[TL:13-15|technology level of 13]] and higher accept this card. It may be used in any Imperial starport to get Imperial credits, local currency or debit cards drawn on local banks if local technology supports it. Identification information consists of a thumbprint activator and a record of the owner's retina print. The latter is checked for verification on all transactions over [[Cr]]100,000{{page cite|citeName=JTAS24_12}}.
  
−
'''Imperial Standard Credit Card''' This card is effectively a portable bank teller. A [[microprocessor]] unit tracks the account and contains information for personal identification. Made of ''plas-steel'', the card is practically indestructible. It is nearly tamper-proof, in that most attempts to tamper with it merely result in blanking the card.
+
Only the very wealthy may obtain the [[Imperial Standard Credit Card#Iridium Edition|Iridium Edition]] of the card. It contains the owner's [[DNA]] code, allowing for positive identification and unlimited reliability. [[Starship]]s have been purchased on these cards{{page cite|citeName=JTAS24_12}}.
  
−
Merchants in [[system]]s with a [[TL:13-15|technology level of 13]] and higher accept this card. It may be used in any Imperial starport to get Imperial credits, local currency or debit cards drawn on local banks if local technology supports it. Identification information consists of a thumbprint activator and a record of the owner's retina print. The latter is checked for verification on all transactions over [[Cr]]100,000.
+
The '''''[[Travellers' Aid Society]]''''' issues its own version of this card, known as the '''''[[Imperial Standard Credit Card|TAS Services Card]]''''', which can be had for a modest Cr 10,000 lifetime fee{{page cite|citeName=JTAS24_12}}.
  
−
Only the very wealthy may obtain the Iridium Edition of the card. It contains the owner's [[DNA]] code, allowing for positive identification and unlimited reliability. [[Starship]]s have been purchased on these cards.
+
* '''''Please also see''':''
 +
:» ''[[Imperial ID]]''
 +
:» ''[[Chipcard]]''
 +
:»» ''[[Imperial Solar]]''
  
 
== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
 
== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
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{{Referral-Tree-Third-Imperium}}
 
{{Referral-Tree-Third-Imperium}}
  
−
== References & Contributors ([[Sources]]) ==
+
== References ==
 
{{Advanced}}
 
{{Advanced}}
 
{{Sources
 
{{Sources
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|name=Starships|page=7|version=Classic Traveller}}
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Starships|page=7|version=Classic Traveller}}
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|name=Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 04|page=5}}
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 04|page=5}}
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|name=The Traveller Adventure|page=142|version=Classic Traveller}}  
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name=The Traveller Adventure|page=142|version=Classic Traveller}}
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|name=Imperial Encyclopedia|page=TBD}}  
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name= Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 24|artice= The Ship's Locker: The Credit Card|page=12}}
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|name= Marc Miller's Traveller |page= 63}}
+
| {{Ludography cite|name=Imperial Encyclopedia|page=22}}  
−
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version=Mongoose 2nd|page=92}}
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name= Marc Miller's Traveller |page=63}}
−
  | Novel: {{T5}} Edition [[Agent of the Imperium]]
+
  | {{Ludography cite|name=GURPS Traveller Core Rules|page=28}}
 +
| {{Ludography cite|name=Library Data|version=Mongoose Traveller|page=15-16}}
 +
| {{Ludography cite|name=Core Rule Book | version= Mongoose 2nd|page=92}}
 +
  | {{Ludography cite|name=Agent of the Imperium}}
 +
| {{Ludography cite|name=The Third Imperium|page=4}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
{{LE|Currency|Economy}}
 
{{LE|Currency|Economy}}
−
{{LEN}}
 

Latest revision as of 11:37, 27 December 2025

Library Data Milieu 1116 

Ten Imperial Credits (Cr10)

"Imperial Currency:" The basic unit of legal tender in the Third Imperium is the Imperial credit. A megacredit is one million credits. Megacredits are abbreviated MCr. [1] The Imperial Credit is sometimes informally known as the CRIMP (Credit Imperial).

For Combat Ribbon (CR) see Combat Service Ribbon or Combat Command Ribbon

Description (Specifications)[edit]

Credit (abbreviated Cr). The common Imperial monetary unit. For very large amounts of money, the kilocredit (abbreviated KCr) represents a total of one thousand credits, and the megacredit (abbreviated MCr) represents a total of one million credits. Note that the abbreviation comes first, and there are no spaces before the number. Truly large concepts for money or value are called "aryu" (for RU, resource unit).

Larger credit units (GCr or BCr for gigacredit or billion credits, and TCr for teracredit or trillion credits) are generally not used, at least for practical business matters. When talking about quantities of wealth that large, other attributes (such as location and form of the wealth) beyond sheer quantity become important enough that it is often more useful to speak of resource units.

Image Repository[edit]

  1. Checks are still used throughout Imperial Space.
    Imperial Currency-T5 Brannon-Boren-27-Aug-2019b.jpg
  2. Bank notes from Rhylanor.
    Currency-T5-Fan-Andy-Bigwood 06-Oct-2019a.jpg

Currency Abbreviations[edit]

  1. mCr: millicredit = 0.001 credit (unit of accounting/rounding only)
  2. cCr: centicredit = 0.01 credit
  3. dCr: decicredit = 0.1 credit
  4. Cr: Imperial Credit = 1.0 credit
  5. DCr: Decacredit = 10.0 credits (uncommon)
  6. KCr: Kilocredit = 1,000.0 credits
  7. MCr: Megacredit = 1,000,000.0 credits
  8. BCr: Billion credits = 1,000,000,000.0 credits
  9. GCr: Gigacredit = 1,000,000,000.0 credits
  10. TCr: Trillion credits, or Teracredit = 1,000,000,000,000.0 credits

Physical Attributes[edit]

Imperial credits are almost impossible to counterfeit because of their unique method of manufacture. Plastic fibers are combined under high temperature and pressure and extruded as a rectangular bundle of great length. The different colored fibers form the pattern of the bill. It is not printed on but actually made a part of the structure of the note. The bundle is sliced to paper thinness, and a 14-digit alphanumeric (letter/number combination) is added for uniqueness[2][3].

Currency Denominations[edit]

Coinage[edit]

Plasteel coins, manufactured in a similar manner in various shapes, are issued in the following denominations:
  • The "Centi-credit" (Cr0.01) - (discontinued - but still legal tender) [4]
  • The "Deci-credit" (Cr0.1) - ("Decim")[5] (discontinued - but still legal tender) [6]
  • The "Quarter-credit" (Cr¼ or Cr0.25) - ("Quarter" / "Quadran" [7])
  • The "Half-credit" (Cr½ or Cr0.5) - ("Semi-credit")
  • The "One-credit" (Cr1)
  • The "Five-credit" (Cr5) - ("Fiver" / "Quinquer" [8] / "Quintner/Quinner/Quinn/ "Queen" " [9])
The larger coins are often called by informal names, which reflect their value:
  • The "kilo" (Cr10) - (from the 10kg baggage allowance of the Low Passage ticket) (= "1000 centicredits")
  • The "ton" (Cr100) - (from the 1000kg baggage allowance of the High Passage ticket) (= "1000 decicredits")
  • The "toi" (Cr500) - (from the baggage allowance of a Luxury Passage ticket)
  • The "low passage" (Cr1,000) - (from the price of the Low Passage ticket)
  • The "high passage" (Cr10,000) - (from the price of the High Passage ticket)

Bills[edit]

Credit bills are issued in the following denominations:
  • Cr10
  • Cr20
  • Cr50
  • Cr100
  • Cr500
  • Cr1,000
  • Cr10,000

Currency Dimensions[edit]

Bills measure 75 millimeters x 125 millimeters; 1,000 bills stand 50 millimeters high and weigh 500 grams. Imperial credits can be bulky in large quantities[2][3].

Imperial Currency Usage[edit]

Sub-polities within the Imperium may and often do issue their own currency including the following:

  • Planetary (World) Currencies: Individual worlds may issue their own currencies, and those currencies may or may not be acceptable on other worlds.
  • Corporate (Megacorporation) Scrip: Similarly, corporations and megacorporations may issue scrip, and its acceptance outside of the corporate environment is a matter of conjecture.

However, Imperial credits are accepted everywhere in the Third Imperium and in many locations outside of it.

The Imperial credit is backed by the massed economies of the Imperium's roughly 11,000 member worlds. This has made the Imperial credit safe from the economic effects of inflation and deflation for over a thousand years.

Credits on a polity scale are typically measured in MCr or BCr:

  • MCr: Millions of credits or 1,000,000.00.
  • BCr: Billions of credits or 1,000,000,000.00.

Imperial Banking[edit]

On sufficiently advanced worlds (TL8 or higher), transactions are usually electronic, authenticated and managed by bank servers and hand-held computers or personal comms. When traveling between systems, Traveller will need to arrange for their banking information to be sent ahead, or maintain separate accounts on the worlds that they frequent. Wandering Traveller will frequently have to resort to cash and/or tradable goods[10].

Imperial Standard Credit Card This card is effectively a portable bank teller. A microprocessor unit tracks the account and contains information for personal identification. Made of plasteel, the card is practically indestructible. It is nearly tamper-proof, in that most attempts to tamper with it merely result in blanking the card[11].

Merchants in systems with a technology level of 13 and higher accept this card. It may be used in any Imperial starport to get Imperial credits, local currency or debit cards drawn on local banks if local technology supports it. Identification information consists of a thumbprint activator and a record of the owner's retina print. The latter is checked for verification on all transactions over Cr100,000[11].

Only the very wealthy may obtain the Iridium Edition of the card. It contains the owner's DNA code, allowing for positive identification and unlimited reliability. Starships have been purchased on these cards[11].

The Travellers' Aid Society issues its own version of this card, known as the TAS Services Card, which can be had for a modest Cr 10,000 lifetime fee[11].

  • Please also see:
» Imperial ID
» Chipcard
»» Imperial Solar

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

Imperial Currency survived as a stable currency until the time of the Second Civil War.

Currency in the Shattered Imperium 1116-1130[edit]

Imperial credits were still legal tender in the Domain of Deneb and its successor the Regency; their acceptance in other areas of the divided Imperium varied widely during the Rebellion and the financial system collapsed after Virus on most worlds. Several pocket empires like the Reformation Coalition began minting their own credit based on transport capacity, but most worlds still used a local currency backed by their own industrial production or even rare metals.

Currency in Use Following the Fall of the Third Imperium[edit]

Beginning circa 1125, the use of specie (coins made of metal) grew until it became more valuable than scrip ("folding money" made of paper or plastic fiber). The Outworlds now use coins minted from traditional precious metals.

Metal Mass Credits
Copper 50 grams Cr0.2
Silver 30 grams Cr10
Gold 30 grams Cr300

These coins are available for a 2% surcharge from Outworld customs currency exchange counters. They are recognized on all Frontier worlds and are sometimes available for direct exchange (in about half of all cases). Safe worlds sometimes accept coins for their scrap metal value but merchants generally do not recognize them as currency.

See also[edit]

Third Imperium

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Third Imperium


References[edit]

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
  1. ↑ Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. The Traveller Adventure (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 142.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 22.
  4. ↑ Speculative detail by WHULorigan to account for the occasional use of the term
  5. ↑ Speculative colloquialism by WHULorigan
  6. ↑ Speculative detail by WHULorigan to account for the occasional use of the term
  7. ↑ Speculative colloquialism by WHULorigan
  8. ↑ Speculative colloquialism by WHULorigan
  9. ↑ Speculative colloquialism by WHULorigan
  10. ↑ Matthew Sprange. Core Rule Book (Mongoose Publishing, 2016), 91.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 24 (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 12.
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