CrImps in an interdicted system

[rancke]

I'm working on the Shionthy System. As we all know, it is interdicted. I've decided that it was interdicted in 1050 (55 years earlier in the timeframe I'm working with). At that time there were a certain amount of Imperial currency in the system. These bills and coins are hard to destroy and impossible to counterfeit (with the technology available to the locals).

My question is this: Do these Imperial bills and coins become worthless or do they become extra valuable to the locals? What do you think?


Hans

 

[Agemegos]

In the situation described at the Traveller wiki Shionthy System is forbidden to private commercial traffic but is not economically isolated. CrImps are still useful for buying imports, and they maintain their value.

The question would be considerably more interesting in the case of a system that was economically isolated by its interdiction.

 

[E.D.Quibell]

I also expect that the population of the Shionthy System make a fortune by capturing and selling "stable" anti-matter to the Imperium. Imp Credits are likley to abound.

Best regards,

Ewan

 

[aramis]

Shionthy isn't interdicted in the sense of cut-off. Shionthy is interdicted in the sense of "No unauthorized civilian traffic, so you don't blow yourself up." It's got a fairly normal traffic load, and an imperial military presence.

It's about the only red zone I can think of that is likely to have a (strongly regulated) tourist industry.

 

[rancke]

Shionthy isn't interdicted in the sense of cut-off. Shionthy is interdicted in the sense of "No unauthorized civilian traffic, so you don't blow yourself up." It's got a fairly normal traffic load, and an imperial military presence.

Could you please tell me what you base that statement about the normal traffic load on? And what is authorized civilian traffic as opposed to unauthorized?

It's about the only red zone I can think of that is likely to have a (strongly regulated) tourist industry.

Well, my take is that an interdiction means people aren't allowed to visit. I assume that the CTM trade has made the Imperium bend that rule to the extend that it has licensed one company to go there for the purpose of buying CTM (And that the company has stretched that to include trading in other goods). Also, I have some smuggling going on. If there's anything in that picture that contradicts canonical material, I'd appreciate being told very quickly.


Hans

 

[E.D.Quibell]

Could you please tell me what you base that statement about the normal traffic load on? And what is authorized civilian traffic as opposed to unauthorized?

Not a "Normal Traffic Load" but there seem to be a number of people who have gone through Shionthy in the rumers of Adventure 1.

And The Regency Sourcebook backs up the selling anti-matter.

Regards,

Ewan

 

[rancke]

Not a "Normal Traffic Load" but there seem to be a number of people who have gone through Shionthy in the rumers of Adventure 1.

One scout that was passing through there on a mission (Rumor A). That's all, unless you count Rumor S.

And The Regency Sourcebook backs up the selling anti-matter.

Oh, yes, no argument there. It's originally from the Library Data in Beltstrike. But AFAIK there's no explanation of how the transactions are made.


Hans

 

[HG_B]

But AFAIK there's no explanation of how the transactions are made.


Hans

Well, based on standard econ principles (Imp Credits are a fiat currency. Since there is no way to increase the monetary supply based on econ expansion of what is basically a closed system.), it would probably be in precious metals and the like. Or, equipment that can't easily be manufactured locally.

 

[rancke]

Well, based on standard econ principles (Imp Credits are a fiat currency. Since there is no way to increase the monetary supply based on econ expansion of what is basically a closed system.), it would probably be in precious metals and the like. Or, equipment that can't easily be manufactured locally.

Well, obviously. Ultimately you have to deliver goods to pay for anything. Money is just a convenient way of keeping tracks. No one is going to exchange perfectly useful goods for dirty pieces of paper[*] unless they're confident that they can exchange those pieces of paper with something they really want. And if there's any kind of constraint on how you can use the money, you get some sort of distortion. If, for example, there's only one place you can spend Imperial credits, they've effectively been turned into company scrip.

[*] Or pieces of plastic or electronic promisory notes.​

Hans

 

[HG_B]

Well, obviously.Hans

So, the answer to your question was, obvious...

 

[rancke]

So, the answer to your question was, obvious...

If all human beings were coldly and efficiently logical, maybe. But that's not always the case, is it? In fact, it's very seldom the case. Here you have a fixed (almost) supply of unforgable documents. The only practical use for it is as "company scrip" with the licensed trading company, and one could easily imagine that the company would exploit its monopoly to impose a hefty "transaction fee". So logically the value would drop. But might these bills and coins not come to be regarded as another "prexious metal" and become more valuable, because, unlike TL8 currency, they can't be counterfeited?


Hans

 

[HG_B]

If all human beings were coldly and efficiently logical, maybe. But that's not always the case, is it?

In the macro, yes.

 

[rancke]

In the macro, yes.

Eh?


Hans