coin size and weight [Archive] - Wizards Community

coin size and weight [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
hackuma
06-22-06, 12:41 AM Is there a limit of coins that a character can carry? I saw in the book a coin wich says that it is the real size, but it would be rather strange to be carring thousands of them because they would occupy too much space...
CryoSilver
06-22-06, 12:50 AM 1 coin = 1/50 lb. 50 coins = 1 lb. 1 lb = 453.6 g. Gold = 19.32 g/cm^3.

453.6/19.32 = 23.5 cm^3

23.5 cm^3 = not a lot
GalaGalaxia
06-22-06, 01:09 AM 1 coin = 1/50 lb. 50 coins = 1 lb. 1 lb = 453.6 g. Gold = 19.32 g/cm^3.

453.6/19.32 = 23.5 cm^3

23.5 cm^3 = not a lot

For 50, maybe ... but if you're carrying 10,000 gp -- then we're talking 4,700 cmł. That's 5 liters of coin ... weighing in at 200 lbs. So, no, it is not logical to assume that players carry all their gold with them at all times.
Dragonsblood
06-22-06, 02:26 AM If you're carrying 10,000 gp you should exchange that for gems. My group carries around all of it's money with no problems.
IV
06-22-06, 02:29 AM Banks tend to be useful, especially if your adventuring near a metropolis.
Dheran
06-22-06, 02:53 AM If you've got access to banks or gems, great. Otherwise, a Portable Hole is a solid investment. Yes, it's 20,000 g.p., but it'll carry more than 100 times its value in gold. Plus other useful items, like enough climbing gear for a whole party to scale a mountain, or water sufficient to see a party without clerics across a desert.
Bulletproof_Condom
06-22-06, 04:18 AM For simplicity's sake, all coins are one inch in diameter and weigh 0.32 ounces (or one fiftieth of a pound).

A gold coin would be 2.33 sixty-fourths of an inch thick. A platinum coin would be just about 1/32nd of an inch thick. Silver and copper, being about half as dense as these metals, would be about twice as thick per coin.

10,000 gold would weigh 200 pounds, but it would be less than a quarter of a cubic foot in volume. That'd be like two one-gallon jugs filled with gold coins. Gold's very dense, so it'll be heavy, but it won't take up much space really.

A heward's handy haversack can hold 6,000 coins. A bag of holding could store either 12,500 coins (type I), 25,000 coins (type II), 50,000 coins (type III), or 75,000 coins (type IV). In all cases, the weight limit is reached long before the volume limit.

A portable hole has no weight limit, and could theoretically hold over 8 million gold or platinum, or over 4 million silver or copper.

You only have to get that coin far enough to buy something expensive with it, and it'll instantly be easier to carry.
tarkin
06-22-06, 11:21 AM People here are making a bad assumption:

Coins are pure metal.

This is NOT TRUE.

Check the copper percentage of modern US penny. (about 1%) Check the silver content of a late stage Roman coin (about 2%).

Yes, coins start out at pure. As governments age, they get debased.

For simplicity's sake the following are considered true in D20:

1) 50 coins of ANY type weigh 1 pound.

2) 50 coins of any type fit in a very small volume, so weight limits come into effect before size limitations.

3) Coins are generally of a size a U.S. Nickle to a US quarter. Coins as small as a penny/dime are harder to mint and get lost easily. Coins as large as say the bottom of a standard 12 ounce soda can could exist, but are frankly unwieldly to use, and their weight is cumbersome.
Killer_DM
06-22-06, 11:29 AM Point of note, from page 112 of the Player's Handbook:

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce (fifty to the pound). It is the exact size of the coin pictured in the illustration on page 168.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulletproof_Condom
06-22-06, 02:52 PM People here are making a bad assumption:

Coins are pure metal.

This is NOT TRUE.How is that relevant? The only aspect of these discussions that could be affected by impure coins is the average density of each coin and thereby the thickness. Doesn't change the fact that a heward's handy can hold 6000 coins.

I mean, it's a fantasy game. Zinc percentage simply isn't worth thinking about.
sizbut
06-22-06, 03:14 PM Historically gold coins were gold, silver was silver, etc. Yes not pure but still pretty high quality. The whole point was that it didn't represent a monetary value, it actually was that value. It only in relatively recent times that we get coins and bits of paper that are tokens of a value other than the actual material cost of the token.

Since metals can be debased by additives, the stamping of coins as official by your king/monarch/emperor was a important part of guaranteeing the base metal content.

The point - comparing modern day coinage to gold pieces is a bit pointless as they are parts of two very different economic systems.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
hackuma 06-22-06, 12:41 AM	Is there a limit of coins that a character can carry? I saw in the book a coin wich says that it is the real size, but it would be rather strange to be carring thousands of them because they would occupy too much space...
CryoSilver 06-22-06, 12:50 AM	1 coin = 1/50 lb. 50 coins = 1 lb. 1 lb = 453.6 g. Gold = 19.32 g/cm^3. 453.6/19.32 = 23.5 cm^3 23.5 cm^3 = not a lot
GalaGalaxia 06-22-06, 01:09 AM	1 coin = 1/50 lb. 50 coins = 1 lb. 1 lb = 453.6 g. Gold = 19.32 g/cm^3. 453.6/19.32 = 23.5 cm^3 23.5 cm^3 = not a lot For 50, maybe ... but if you're carrying 10,000 gp -- then we're talking 4,700 cmł. That's 5 liters of coin ... weighing in at 200 lbs. So, no, it is not logical to assume that players carry all their gold with them at all times.
Dragonsblood 06-22-06, 02:26 AM	If you're carrying 10,000 gp you should exchange that for gems. My group carries around all of it's money with no problems.
IV 06-22-06, 02:29 AM	Banks tend to be useful, especially if your adventuring near a metropolis.
Dheran 06-22-06, 02:53 AM	If you've got access to banks or gems, great. Otherwise, a Portable Hole is a solid investment. Yes, it's 20,000 g.p., but it'll carry more than 100 times its value in gold. Plus other useful items, like enough climbing gear for a whole party to scale a mountain, or water sufficient to see a party without clerics across a desert.
Bulletproof_Condom 06-22-06, 04:18 AM	For simplicity's sake, all coins are one inch in diameter and weigh 0.32 ounces (or one fiftieth of a pound). A gold coin would be 2.33 sixty-fourths of an inch thick. A platinum coin would be just about 1/32nd of an inch thick. Silver and copper, being about half as dense as these metals, would be about twice as thick per coin. 10,000 gold would weigh 200 pounds, but it would be less than a quarter of a cubic foot in volume. That'd be like two one-gallon jugs filled with gold coins. Gold's very dense, so it'll be heavy, but it won't take up much space really. A heward's handy haversack can hold 6,000 coins. A bag of holding could store either 12,500 coins (type I), 25,000 coins (type II), 50,000 coins (type III), or 75,000 coins (type IV). In all cases, the weight limit is reached long before the volume limit. A portable hole has no weight limit, and could theoretically hold over 8 million gold or platinum, or over 4 million silver or copper. You only have to get that coin far enough to buy something expensive with it, and it'll instantly be easier to carry.
tarkin 06-22-06, 11:21 AM	People here are making a bad assumption: Coins are pure metal. This is NOT TRUE. Check the copper percentage of modern US penny. (about 1%) Check the silver content of a late stage Roman coin (about 2%). Yes, coins start out at pure. As governments age, they get debased. For simplicity's sake the following are considered true in D20: 1) 50 coins of ANY type weigh 1 pound. 2) 50 coins of any type fit in a very small volume, so weight limits come into effect before size limitations. 3) Coins are generally of a size a U.S. Nickle to a US quarter. Coins as small as a penny/dime are harder to mint and get lost easily. Coins as large as say the bottom of a standard 12 ounce soda can could exist, but are frankly unwieldly to use, and their weight is cumbersome.
Killer_DM 06-22-06, 11:29 AM	Point of note, from page 112 of the Player's Handbook: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce (fifty to the pound). It is the exact size of the coin pictured in the illustration on page 168. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulletproof_Condom 06-22-06, 02:52 PM	People here are making a bad assumption: Coins are pure metal. This is NOT TRUE.How is that relevant? The only aspect of these discussions that could be affected by impure coins is the average density of each coin and thereby the thickness. Doesn't change the fact that a heward's handy can hold 6000 coins. I mean, it's a fantasy game. Zinc percentage simply isn't worth thinking about.
sizbut 06-22-06, 03:14 PM	Historically gold coins were gold, silver was silver, etc. Yes not pure but still pretty high quality. The whole point was that it didn't represent a monetary value, it actually was that value. It only in relatively recent times that we get coins and bits of paper that are tokens of a value other than the actual material cost of the token. Since metals can be debased by additives, the stamping of coins as official by your king/monarch/emperor was a important part of guaranteeing the base metal content. The point - comparing modern day coinage to gold pieces is a bit pointless as they are parts of two very different economic systems.