[JohnPaulB]

New ITL p56 Unset gems are often used as “coins” of high denomination. In some parts of Cidri, royal coiners assay gems and mark them with their worth by engraving a value on a lower facet. I would bet the Dwarves also do this.

On the far side of the ocean from Elyntia, there is a mountain nation called Chezeks. It has almost no gold and just enough silver for coins. But it has lots of gems due to its mineral rich mountains. Chezeks use gems as coinage. Instead of putting a numerical symbol on the “coin”, the Chezeks carve their coins into various polyhedrals to designate its value. The gemcoins are about the same size to eachother due to Chezecks regulations.

These gemcoins are called Zider gems. They contain the Chezeks coat or arms etched into one facet. They are not the precision beauties of the Dwarven gems. When writing the value down, the Chezeks refer to these as d4 or d10. If there are several, the might list it as 3d10. Or they might use the #of sides with term Zider as in “a Ten Zider.”

Here are the gems they normally use:
• d4 is Tiger Eye
• d6 is Peridot
• d8 is Tourmaline
• d10 is Garnet
• d12 is Sapphire
• d20 is Emerald

During the reign of Cyrus, Chezeks treasury covered newly minted gemcoins with colorful resin or shellac coatings.

A few of these gemcoins have migrated to Elyntia, but not many. Some merchants who work internationally know them, but the moneylenders are the ones who mostly deal with them.

In Elyntia, the moneylenders trade them at either 1x$ of gold or 10x$ of gold, though other exchange rates have been encountered.
In other words 1d20 = $200 or $2000

I suggest that the gamemaster fix the rate before play. I suggest the x1 rate if you like having a bagfull of dice. The other x10 rate would make these gemcoins very valuable and a good way to transport much wealth.
Remember, these do not replace the Dwarven cut / Royal Mint gems with the price on a facet.
If you are going to represent these gemcoins, I suggest using sets that are the same color and that are not the dice style that you use to play the game. (so you don’t start losing your money to dice rolls. ; )