章 691: Updated Chapter 691: The Royal Mint
Old Linman stood in front of the counter window, transfixed by the gold coin in his hand.
Firstly, he was relieved that he could indeed withdraw money. Secondly, he was intrigued by this brand-new gold coin.
It was a gold dragon like none he had ever seen before. On one side, it bore the Targaryen family's three-headed dragon emblem. On the other, there was a side profile of a young man with silver hair, wearing a crown, looking gallant.
"What is this?" Old Linman asked, holding the gold dragon with a hint of hesitation. With his years of trading experience, he didn't need to touch it to know it was genuine.
However, having done business in King's Landing for so many years, he had never seen this particular gold dragon.
The young lady at the Imperial Bank counter promptly cleared his doubts, "This is the new currency the Empire is planning to issue. You should be able to tell its authenticity."
Old Linman hesitated for a moment, then felt the coin again and nodded. It was indeed genuine. He hadn't expected the Emperor to issue a new batch of coins.
Weighing it, it seemed to be of the same weight as the old coins. Finding no fault, Old Linman, still somewhat skeptical, pocketed the ten new coins.
But upon reflection, it wasn't that surprising. The Emperor had changed the nation's name to Valyria and had taken steps to rebuild Valyria. Naturally, he would make a series of changes.
Old Linman might not understand economics, but it wasn't rare for the rulers of the Iron Throne to issue new coins. Daemon Blackfyre, Aerys I, Daeron II, Aegon IV, and others had minted their own coins.
Considering the coins used before the Conquest War three hundred years ago and the coins brought by customers from the Free Cities, the currency circulating in the Seven Kingdoms was very diverse.
Gold dragons, silver moons, silver stags, copper stars, halfpennies, pennies, and many more. Too many to count.
During transactions, merchants would adjust prices based on the type of coin used by the customer. Some coins had a low gold content, while others were quite valuable. They also had to consider exchange rates. It was all very complicated.
Therefore, standardizing the currency market and regulating the circulation of coins was one of the tasks Viserys gave to the Finance Minister.
Ever since Illyrio arrived in King's Landing from Pentos, he hadn't had a day off. He was busy with the construction of the bank, visiting the three mints in King's Landing, and also had to visit the port of Blackwater Bay, the customs department, the tax department, and more.
As a result, Finance Minister Illyrio rarely attended the Small Council meetings. His seat was often vacant, as was the seat of the War Minister, Caggo, who was currently on the other side of the Narrow Sea.
Caggo's military knowledge wasn't particularly high. He had extensive combat experience but lacked knowledge and could only command cavalry.
Viserys had given Caggo the position of War Minister primarily to secure the loyalty of the Dothraki. He didn't really need Caggo's advice; otherwise, the Iron Throne would have declared war everywhere by now.
"Willas, my brother, you've finally arrived."
There were three royal mints in King's Landing. Coin minting was one of the few powers exclusive to the king. No other noble in the Seven Kingdoms had this power.
The Finance Minister, as the Emperor's chief economic advisor, controlled a large number of government officials, including the income and expenditure of the royal family and the treasury, the payment of taxes and tariffs, foreign loans, and these three local mints.
The mints were very lucrative. During Robert Baratheon's reign, corruption in the mints was rampant. But now, they were guarded by the Unsullied, who were free from desires. It was almost impossible to bribe them, making the new mints relatively clean.
They also had a new task: to collect old coins in large quantities and then melt them down to mint new ones. They were busier than ever.
After Willas Tyrell settled matters with Old Linman, he headed to the royal mint in King's Landing. Finance Minister Illyrio had been waiting for him for some time.
"Lord Illyrio."
Willas, leaning on his cane, entered the bustling furnace room. He saw the portly man from Pentos with golden hair and a forked beard. He greeted him politely, but Illyrio responded with hearty laughter.
"Come, brother. Let me show you around."
Although Illyrio had become a wealthy governor in Pentos thanks to his spice, gem, and dragon bone businesses, he was originally a mercenary and thief. He had also been involved in many shady deals.
He was always respectful to Viserys, but in private, he was quite boisterous. However, how much of his laughter was genuine and how much was deceptive was anyone's guess. Those who trusted Illyrio too much might end up regretting it.
Jon Connington didn't particularly like or trust Illyrio. If not for Illyrio's crucial help when Viserys was starting out, Jon Connington would have wanted to get rid of him long ago.
Willas, despite his youth, understood the rules among the nobility. He maintained a proper distance from Illyrio, neither too close nor too distant.
Illyrio's business was in Pentos. He wanted to get close to Willas to benefit from the Tyrell family's connections and network. After all, he wasn't in his hometown now.
People like him didn't get close to others without a reason, just as they didn't dislike others without a reason. Everything was based on fundamental interests.
"Brother, look. Do you know how this new coin is minted?"
The portly man from Pentos entered the workshop, where the sound of hammers echoed. Craftsmen were sweating profusely as they hammered away. Before the invention of rolling mills and lever presses, coins had to be hammered out.
Illyrio held up a new gold dragon and turned to Willas with a chuckle, "Do you know the profit from minting this one gold dragon?"
Willas pondered for a moment and then shook his head honestly, "I don't know. Please enlighten me."
Although he was well-read, he had never led an army before the siege of Highgarden. Similarly, before coming to King's Landing, he didn't know about the lives of the common people, including many basic facts.
He knew about countless coins from the past and the Free Cities, their origins, and their history. But he didn't know how they were made.
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