Paper money

Paper money was a form of currency widely used in Shou Lung.
==Usage==
Rather than being made of precious metals such as silver and gold, the notes were made of relatively worthless paper, and given value by the people's trust in the issuer. As such, only a truly well-organized and well-regarded realm would be able to make use of paper money to buttress their currency.
==History==
Paper money was originally invented in Shou Lung, and the empire was the largest user of paper currency in the Realms. Shou Lung maintained ch'ao paper notes as standard units of currency, issued in amounts of 1, 10, and 100 ch'ao. It was traditional for Shou people to offer up paper money to their ancestors by burning it on festival days along with paper clothes and food, so as to allow the venerated ancestor the luxuries of life.
Paper money found little use elsewhere in Kara-Tur. The rich but decentralized realm of T'u Lung minted its own metal coins, Kozakura freely used foreign coins, and most other neighboring lands used limited coinage or barter, with paper notes having no cachet.
Paper money found some use in the Hordelands. In the 1350s DR, Yamun Khahan issued paper notes in Quaraband, supplementing the traditional barter economy. Though his subjects were reluctant to use the paper money, it was used within his capital.
Paper notes rarely reached the opposite end of the continent, but were known of in Faerûn. Referred to as bela, it was functionally worthless and payment with it was used as a method of insult. Paper money's lack of value in Faerûn led to the saying "Buying Steelpense with Bela", indicating financial ineptitude. At best, the gaijin of Faerûn considered it an innocuous curiosity.
==Appendix==
===References===
Category:Currency
Category:Items from the Hordelands
Category:Items from Shou Lung
Category:Items from Kara-Tur
Category:Items from Toril
Category:Items