Triman has traditionally been a money scarce society where goods were bartered rather than sold. Barter has again become the preferred method of trade during the civil war. It is also acceptable to pay the tax in goods rather than money, and donations to the church are almost always in goods or services, not cash.
Still, since the first tsar Dobrolub Triman has had a common currency, the copper coin or "kopek". The copper coin is only minted by the tsar, and it's value is backed by the crown, rather than by it's weight.
In addition, silver is used as payment. It is hacked and weighted, and when minted, the minting is only a guarantee of proper amount of silver. All the kniazi have the right to mint silver, however it was mostly done by Ledoslavl before the civil war. During the civil war, Kardomir and Gradoslavl have also taken up minting their own silver, recasting Ledoslavian coins.
Silver coins, due to their trade value being based on weight, are often called hacksilver.
The current exchange rate is 10 copper to a silver.
Triman does not use gold coins, unlike Frakia, which has the golden Köningsgulden
The tax to the tsar is counted in copper, but can be paid in goods, copper or silver. The kniazi usually pay it in silver, even though most of the tax they collect is in goods or services. The tax is collected in autumn, after the harvest.
The commoners pay a tax to their feudal lord based on houses. Each house pays for all adult members of the given house. Homeless people and the church are exempt from the house tax. Entering a marked with goods, or entering a city with goods is often taxated, as are permissions to trade and merchant ships. Most craftsmen have to have a permission to trade for their shop, and are taxated through it. Lack of trade permit might lead to confiscation of part or all of the goods if caught in the act of illegal trade.
Poverty
Many have little means in Triman, particularly in this time of civil war. However, there have traditionally been little need to beg on the streets, as homeless people would be given shelter by the church. Those without means to work, for example cripples, could stay at the temple or monastery and help with task suited to their strengths, while those able to work would be helped to gain employment or find an area to try to grow crops in. Many are also taken in by relatives or helped find new work through relatives. Orphans are also taken in by the church. The church forbids interest on loans, and there are therefore few, if any that are poor because of debt.
When the tsar started raiding temples this security net was broken, and while the church still attempts to help, there are now a growing amount of beggars, made up of refugees, commoners having fallen on hard times, people with mental illnesses and trauma and so on.
Shady blackmarket dealers are also offering loans with interest, so there are now people run into poverty by debt. Such offers usually attract the interest of the beggar knights.
Wealth and the upper classes
With Triman being a money scarce society, most wealth is bound in land and trade goods. In addition there are rights and obligations. An example on obligation can be the duty to bring so and so many armed soldiers when the feudal lord demands it, or the right can be the right to trade without taxation in a given city. Obligations and rights can often be traded or divided, like a nobleman can let merchants trade in his name and avoid taxation that way. Sale of rights is common in Ledoslavl and Gradoslavl. In Kardomir trade is more often in knowledge or ancient relics. Many amass vast amounts of old relics hoping they can give insight or power.
Price list to illustrate purchasing power of copper coin:
chainmail (full) - 1200
chainmail hauberk - 600
helmet - 200
Inn each night - 5
inn each night + food - 10
rent cottage - 60 each month
rent craftsmans city house - 240 each month
building a castle tower - 48000
building a merchant house - 7200
weapon belt - 2
boots - 8
wool dress - 36
stool - 4
fencing instructions - 120 each month
dagger, good quality - 20
gold ring - 320
emptying latrine - 8
axe, tool - 50
cow - 72
horse - 300
boat - 970