Aureus

 

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The Aureus is a form of currency, a higher denomination of the Gold Crown, the Coin of the Realm for Aelyria. Considered obscure, the Aureus is only in limited circulation.

Originally commissioned by Empress Alyssa Chrysinaria during the last decade of her reign, the Aureus never really caught on a mainstream coin in commerce. It was redesigned by the ambitious Exchequer, Lord Aramil Thamion, in an attempt to make it more popular; this also failed. Emperor Valerian Constantius later set forth in his monetary policy a lesser emphasis on obscure coins, like the Aureus, and instead a focus on the Gold Crown itself, and using cheques for large transactions.

1 Aureus is equivalent to 25 Crowns. It is slightly smaller in diameter than the Gold Crown, but about one third thicker in width. Unlike the Gold Crown, which is composed primarily of mineral composites and a small bit of gold, the Aureus is made entirely of moderately high grade pure gold, accounting in part for its higher valuation. Though designs have varied over the years, the most common was the one introduced by Lord Aramil displaying the Bank of Aelyria on the head with the Aelyrian Stock Exchange on the tail.