Banking on Gor

Every year at the Sardar Fair there is a motion before the bankers, literally, the coin merchants, to introduce a standardization of coinage among the major cities. . To date, however, this has not been accomplished. I did not feel it was really fair of Boots to call attention to my possible lack of expertise in these matters. I was not, after all, of the merchants, nor, among them, of the coin merchants.
Magicians

Certain coins, such as the silver tarsk of Tharna and the golden tarn of Ar, tend, to some extent, to standardize what otherwise might be a mercantile chaos. This same standardization, in the region of the Tamber Gulf and south, along the shore of Thassa, tends to be effected by the golden tam of Port Kar. Coin merchants often have recourse to scales. This is sensible considering such things as the occasional debasings of coinages, usually unannounced by the communities in question, and the frequent practice of splitting and shaving coins.
Savages

Sometimes, of course, certain areas specialize in, or are known for, given types of services or products. Each city usually has, for example, its "Street of Coins." On such a street, or in such an area, its banking will largely be done. Similarly most cities will have their "Street of Brands," on which street, or in which area, one would expect to find the houses of its slavers.
Fighting Slave

"They are afraid," he said. "The Street of Coins is almost closed."
This was actually a set of streets, or district, where money changing and banking were done. "There are other types of establishments in the area, too, of course.
Kajira of Gor

Many Gorean bankers, not only the fellows sitting on a rug in their booth on a street, their sleen about, but also those in the palaces and fortresses on the “Streets of Coins,” work with scales. Too, sometimes coins are literally chopped into pieces. This is regularly done with copper tarsks to produce, usually, the eight tarsk bits equivalent in most cities to the copper tarsk.
Magicians

I heard Tup Ladletender paid his money, it being counted Out from a small iron chest in the office of the captain.
Slave Girl

Often she would send me shopping, my hands braceleted behind my back, a leather capsule, a cylinder, tied about my neck, containing her order and coins. The merchant would then fill her order, tie the merchandise about my neck, put the change in the leather capsule, close it and, sometimes with a friendly slap, dismissing me, reminding me that I was pretty, regardless of being a woman’s slave, send me back to my mistress.
Slave Girl

Notes and letters of credit from a bank in one city, properly certified, were valid and cashed in other cities.

Bank of Reginald in Vonda
He grinned and lifted before her eyes the bank draft, drawn on the bank of Reginald in Vonda, certified, and signed by the Lady Florence, for one thousand, four hundred and twenty tarns of gold.
Fighting Slave

Various banks of Schendi
From the sea bag I drew forth the notes for fortunes, made out to Shaba, to be drawn on various of the banks of Schendi, and the false ring, that which he was supposed to carry to the Sardar in place of the true ring.
Explorers

Bank of Bemus in Venna
These papers are certified by the bank of Bemus in Venna, and are witnessed by the signatures of two citizens of that city.
Fighting Slave

Business is often conducted by notes and letters of credit
Coin merchants often have recourse to scales. This is sensible considering such things as the occasional debasings of coinages, usually unannounced by the communities in question, and the frequent practice of splitting and shaving coins. It is, for example, not unusual for a Gorean coin pouch to contain parts of coins as well as whole coins. Business is often conducted by notes and letters of credit. Paper currency, however, in itself, is unknown.
Savages

“What of the moneys, those vast sums wrought from the Kurii, the notes negotiated in Schendi?” I asked.
“They were to defray the costs of outfitting the expedition, of hiring the men,” he said. “Surely you do not object to my making use of the funds of Kurii for such a purpose. They should be pleased to have made their contribution to so noble a project.”
Explorers

I then took what valuables and moneys there were in the chair, kept in the cabinets at its sides, and slung them, some scarfed and others placed in pouches, about the necks of the two slave girls. I was surprised. The owner of the chair had been rich indeed. There was a fortune there, and the notes for other fortunes.
Beasts

“Will you return to Port Kar?” I asked.
“I have moneys here in Schendi,” he said, “notes which I have drawn upon my return from the Ua, moneys connected with my fees for accompanying Shaba’s expedition. They will last me many months.”
Explorers

Shaba handed him the notes. “You do not trust our broad-shouldered courier?” he asked.
“I trust as few people as possible,” said Msaliti. He looked at the notes, very closely. Then he handed them back to Shaba. “I know the seals and signatures,” he said. “They may truly be drawn on the banks indicated.”
“There are twenty thousand tarns of gold there,” I said.
...
“This business could be conducted in the morning,” I said, “at the banks in question. You might then verify the notes and withdraw or redeposit the gold as you please.”
Explorers

I must leave Port Kar tonight. I would go to my holding; I would make arrangements; I would obtain weapons, moneys, letters of credit. I could be gone in two Ahn, on tarnback, before Priest-Kings discovered the failure of their plans.
Players

These notes, when stolen, are to be cancelled and reissued, by Merchant code
I was pleased to hear this, for I was rather fond of the tall, regal Ulafi. Apparently they did not regard him as a likely fellow to be used in the purchase of stolen notes on speculation, to be resold later to their rightful owner. Many merchants, I was sure, would not have been so squeamish. Such dealings, of course, would encourage the theft of notes. It was for this reason that they were forbidden by the codes. Such notes, their loss reported, are to be canceled, and replaced with alternative notes.
Explorers

Bankers arranged loans
In spite of having the respect, even to some degree the adulation, of almost all Goreans, the Players lived poorly. On the Street of Coins they found it difficult even to arrange loans. They were not popular with innkeepers, who would not shelter them unless paid in advance.
Assassin

"Another possibility," Samos was saying, "would be a loan to the Sa-Tarna merchants, at a reduced rate of interest. Thus we might avoid the precedent of a direct subsidy to a sub caste. To be sure, we might then encounter resistance from the Street of Coins.
Savages

The fellow from Venna, clad in white and gold, was Philebus, a bounty creditor. He was known to the merchants of several cities. Such men buy bills at discount and then set themselves to collect, as they can, their face value.
Fighting Slave