Imperial Credits: What, exactly, are they?

[archhealer]

I'm sure this is cannonized somewhere, but I'm still gathering my resources here and it's taking a long time.

What exactly are imperial credits? I know they are a physical, representative money... Are they made of a valuable material, and therefore valuable in their own right? Are they simple, paper (Or paper like) bank notes? What do they look like? What sort of anti-counterfeit measures are in place on them? How much do they weigh? What denominations do they come in? Is there cash and change?

You get the idea... anybody know?

 

[TheEngineer]

The default answer:
There is an old JTAS article about that

As far as I remember physical credits are represented by rectangular shaped platic chips with the same size but different colorization.

Others or myself will dig around and give some more hints soon

 

[jfetters]

Was it JTAS, or somewhere else?

As far as I remember, it was a mix of both - there are electronic versions of credit as well as bills and coinage.

The only thing I really remember is that the bills were created by fusing a bunch of colored fibers with some kind of counterfeit countermeasures built in into a big block. This block would then be sliced into the C-Bills.

I hope someone digs this up, now I am curious again.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Ah, another use for buckypaper...

 

[parmasson]

The big block reference was in MT IIRC.
There was also a patron/missission that involved gold coins I think.
IMTU Imp credits are banknotes that need to be moved occasionally. Heavly guadrd Navy convoys escorting Hor. et cie vault ships with billions of credits make a tempting target.
There was one MegaTraveller source that had the actual dimensions and . . hold on.

 

[parmasson]

The Imperial Encyclopedia under “Currency, Imperial” pg 22
Yep woven plastic.

75x125mm and a stack of 1000 notes is 50 mm high @ 500g

 

[parmasson]

Not imperial but cool. Some of you may have seen this little sci-fi show, it was only on for a season.

 

[jfetters]

Cool! Thanks, Kurega. It's nice to know that I can actually remember useful things like this from time to time.

Also, if memory serves, there also was a 1 Cr coin that was produced with an image of the Emperor on one side. The TAS articles in Survival Margin should mention this. I think after the assassination, the mint started producing generic sunburst coins until the next Emperor was crowned.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The "real" Cr10 note (the grey/green bits are actually shiny silver, but it confused my scanner):

...and my version of the Cr1 coin:

 

[parmasson]

I am surprised that no more official currency art ever surfaced. Little details can add quite a bit to the feel for the universe. Currency art is one way that societies express their values. I find the Firefly note interesting in that there is no figure on it. No supreme commander, chancellor, or king.

BTW nice credit coins

 

[Whipsnade]

IMTU, there is a 1 CrImp coin with a portrait of Iphegenia on it. Everyone calls it an 'Iffie'.

That idea was brazenly stolen from the lovely Canadian one dollar coin with a loon (a freshwater bird like a big duck) on it. Those coins are called 'Loonies'. IIRC, there is also a two dollar Canadian coin called a 'Two-nie'.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Spinward Scout]

Wasn't there something in The Traveller Adventure about this? I can't remember - too busy thinking about the Christmas shopping I haven't done.

 

[Whipsnade]

Dameon,

There's a CT adventure in the old 'dead tree' JTAS involving a subsector navy payroll. The lucre ends up on the bottom of a large lake between two heavily armed(1), totalitarian states on an interdicted world.

Naturally, the players are very interested in making the recovery.

And, naturally, they'll find all their shenanigans and skullduggery were for naught.

It seems the bills have consecutive serial numbers, numbers that were 'flagged' when the payroll went missing in the first place. Use any of those soggy 100 CrImp notes to buy the Marava you've been eyeing and the 57th Century version of the Secret Service will come a'knocking!


Have fun,
Bill

1 - Anyone know of a totalitarian state that isn't 'heavily armed'?

 

[fredofmars]

IIRC the name of the Amber Zone referenced by Bill is "The Ship in the Lake" in JTAS#2 (or #3?).

 

[jfetters]

Andrew, very cool - How did you create the coins?

 

[parmasson]

I don’t know if it is intentional but that Cr10 note needs some help. Any artists out there have new takes on the venerable old credit?

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Originally posted by Jim Fetters:
Andrew, very cool - How did you create the coins?

It's all done with computers...

I'll have to re-do them, the textures are a bit rough.

 

[Spud]

Originally posted by Bill Cameron:
Dameon,

...

1 - Anyone know of a totalitarian state that isn't 'heavily armed'?

...

Singapore? Bhutan? Brunei?

BTW, is it just me? Look at your globe and pick out all the shooting wars of any duration. Besides Northern Ireland, every one has muslims on one side? ???

 

[Border Reiver]

Spud you want to talk about this shift it to the political pulpit.

 

[archhealer]

Thanks for your help with the credits, guys. It's very helpful to know exactly what you're working with when writing up adventures that revolve around lots and lots of cash!