Midartian Economics

About 25 years ago the Five City states of the Flat of Midart formed the MU, the Midartian Union, in order to more effectively compete with the Duathians.It was a difficult process and not without its fits and starts. Everyone remembers the time when Perth and Meret almost pulled out over a disagreement about on whether chili sauce could have tomatoes in it and still be labeled as such.

One of the most significant accomplishments was the conversion of the Flat’s economy to a single, printed paper monetary unit about 15 years ago.This was actually a much simpler process than agreeing on chili sauce recipes.The economy of the Great City of Meth was equal to the rest of the flat put together, and Methian coins were already being used pretty much everywhere.The advent of magitech banking systems gave people enough confidence in their own ability to keep track of their assets that the idea of paper money, based on a platinum standard, gained acceptance.

The monetary system is:

• 1 Prince = 1 oz of pure Platinum
• 1000 Merchants (µ) = 1 p and is about equal to an old style gold piece
• 1 µ = 100 Shares (1µ = $5 modern)
• Bills are printed in: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 & 100 µ notes
• Bills are also printed in 1, 5 and 10 p notes, but they are rare.
• Coins are minted in 1, 5, 10 & 50 $ pieces
• The average middle class income on the Flat is about 6,000 µ/yr. (6 p/yr., equivalent to a modern income of $30,000/yr).

The advent of the MU has also resulted in several Midart-wide, semi-federal agencies being created.

• The MBI (Midartian Bureau of Investigation).This organization has been given jurisdiction of inter-city trade fraud and violations of fair trade practices.They also have small sections devoted to investigating counterfeiting and tracking down elves that try to escape to the freedom of the Keironian wastes.
• A Flat-wide postal system and cell phone system (land lines don’t make sense to me in a magitech setting).
• A Midartian, blue water Navy that has actually succeeded in forcing the Duathians to open the Inner Sea to non-Duathian ships.They still reserve the right to board, search and seize any non-Duathian ship for contraband (they’ve never defend exactly what that is).They also insist on a neutral zone around their home islands.Midart recognizes a 35 km zone.The Duathians say it is 150 km.

While the old city state armies and Navies used exclusively ACME weapon systems.For obvious reasons the New Navy eschews ACME’s Duathian based magitech and relies on LSI and A & B systems.