Money at the deed of the Red Knight 4

 

Most participants will already have coins. These coins are of course yours to spend or keep.  They are all accurate reproductions of late 14th century coins.  We have deliberately provided you with a bewildering array of English, bohemian, Italian and even Egyptian and Byzantine coinage—just as you would expect to see in an Italian military camp. This year we’ve added some coinage from Alba… it is the Red Knight!

You may use the coins for wagering in games of chance; for gambling on your favorite knight or man-at-arms (who would do such a thing?) or for purchasing wine or cider or other comestibles at the tavern or market.  You can purchase some items at the market for period currency.  We’ll see that our sutlers are repaid.

The following is a brief guide to money.  Read it carefully.

the bank scene, Florance

the bank scene, Florance

  1. Beware the banker.  Just like now. (NB this is only because the banker is human.  The bank will not willingly cheat you).
  2. All copper coins have the same value, regardless of size.  They are worth 1 farthing.  Or, 4 of them to a silver penny.  Think of it being worth about $2.50
  3. Silver coins come in a bewildering variety of sizes.  For our deed, we divide them into three sizes.  Tiny—like a sequin or not much bigger.  Value is 1 hapenny (about $5).  Small—about the size of a dime.  Value is 1 penny. In Italy, a soldo (or Solidus).   Don’t be fooled.  A penny is a fair amount of money (about $10 in modern money).  Medium to large—larger than a nickel, smaller than a quarter.  Called grosso or groat, the big coins are worth four pennies (somewhere in the $40 mark).
  4. Gold coins were very rare in most quarters, but their use in paying mercenaries exploded late Medieval coinage and led to the kind of high prices you’ll pay for wine in this camp.  J  We have three sizes—the quarter noble (small) the Ducat/Florin/Byzantine Hyperon (middle) and perhaps a few English Nobles (large and showy).  A quarter noble is worth 20P ($200), a Florin or Ducat is worth 30P ($300) and a whole noble is worth 80P ($800).  You can buy the tavern.

Once the bank is open in the market, you may buy more coins.  In reality, the coins are not cheap, so we make you pay slightly more than the cost of the coins plus the postage.  We also encourage thrift and savings….  You may buy further coins (always in the same denominations) until we run out for $25 (for 2.5 P) or a half-penny for $5.00. Please understand that the coins cost us the same for a farthing as for a gold noble.  Please respect our system and don’t try to break the bank or to get lots and lots of farthings…(both have been attempted).

If you wish to remain in character while purchasing something real, like a piece of jewelry from Aurora, the bank can arrange the transaction so that the merchant is paid in ‘real’ money.  Visit the bank!  Perfectly fair…the Venetian Bank of Saint Mark is here for your convenience!

 

 

Pay Parade

 

Members of the Company will be paid at the pay parade.  Members are paid per day of work or service, at the following rates: Lances are paid by the Captain, who also pays the officers.  Leaders of lances are responsible for paying their men.  Money is deducted at the time of the pay parade for forage and care and feeding of horses… One third of wages is deducted at payment for stabling of horses.  The following is the actual pay in pennies per day,  NB Please keep in mind the time constraints.  State your days served and move on…

  • Officers get 4.5 P per day atop any pay they get as men-at-arms
  • A lance gets 15 P a day plus 1P if fully recruited. split as follows
  • Knights get 6 ½ P per day for themselves and then distribute the rest as they see fit, but…
  • Mistress Heidebrecht will draw for all of the cooks and laundresses.  She’ll pay them as she sees fit… but…
  • Men-at-arms 4.0 P per day
  • Archers 2.5P per day
  • Master Archers 5P per day
  • Workers, Pioneers, Pages and serving girls 2P per day

To be paid, all members of the Company must Mostre or muster on Saturday morning.  This is a formation.  The company will form by rank and file—Knights, squires and lesser men-at-arms, archers, pages and valets. Each lance will form a file; a lance must have a Knight, an armoured man at arms, an archer and a page (maximum) and the knight will be paid based on having his full lance (or not) (So, for example, a knight with no armoured squire and no page but an archer would get 9P), All non-combatants will form on the left under the Head Woman.  In a real muster, the employer would inspect the company and their equipment, arms and armour.  We’ll do the same. All archers should be in a lance.  Those not in a lance may muster with Captain Sandford of the Rangers, who ranks as a Knight. Master Heidebrecht, the Company Notary, also ranks as a Knight. Curiously, Mistress Heidebrecht ALSO is paid as a knight.  Hmmm.

  • Matt’s event = 2 days
  • Deed of Alms 1 day
  • Trek - 8 days
  • Red Knight 4 - x days (1-4)
  • Last day at Aix last year 1 day

So your max days is 16.  Knights need to know how many days their squire, page, and archer served… evil grin...