Currency
General information
Type Different kinds of money used to buy, trade, and sell goods.
Examples Copper piece Silver piece Gold piece Yuan

The currency in the World of Avatar is based on precious metals. All nations that use currency seem to use the same metals; however, they fashion them in different shapes and sizes.

Most nations use gold, silver, and copper pieces, with gold having the largest value, and copper the least.^[1]

Contents 1 Water Tribe 2 Earth Kingdom 2.1 Copper piece 2.2 Silver piece 2.3 Gold piece 2.4 Gold ingots 3 Fire Nation 3.1 Copper piece 3.2 Silver piece 3.3 Gold piece 4 United Republic of Nations 5 Trivia 6 References 7 See also 8 Comments

Water Tribe Edit

Water Tribe currency is blue and circular, with a hole in the center.^[2] Its shape resembles a ring, and it is deeper than a common coin. As the Water Tribes have a primitive economy based on subsistence, their economic system is not as advanced or sophisticated as those of more developed nations. Water Tribe money is accepted in certain parts of the Earth Kingdom, though some local areas explicitly will not accept Water Tribe currency.^[1]

Earth Kingdom Edit

Earth Kingdom coins are mostly round, and all have a square hole in their center which allows them to be strung together. The shape of Earth Kingdom currency is the same as the nation's insignia. There is no significant difference between copper, silver, and gold pieces besides the materials of which they are made. The only notable difference is that in gold pieces, the borders are marked by a richer shade of gold.^[3]

Copper piece Edit

The copper piece is the coin with the least value in the Earth Kingdom;^[4] it is a small circular copper coin, with a square hole in the middle.^[5][6]

Silver piece Edit

A silver piece is an Earth Kingdom coin worth more than a copper piece, but less than a gold piece. It is made of silver, and is the second most valuable monetary item next to gold.

Gold piece Edit

The gold piece is the most valuable coin in the Earth Kingdom. It is worth more than several copper and silver pieces put together.

Gold ingots Edit

The Earth Kingdom also uses small ingots in rare occasions. They are small rectangles of gold with a curved shape, similar to a boat.

Fire Nation Edit

Fire Nation coins are much more angular than their Earth Kingdom counterparts. They vary according to weight, size, and shape, though all have a nationalistic emblem on one side and writing on the opposite.^[1]

Copper piece Edit

The copper piece is the least valuable coin in the Fire Nation, made of copper. It is a rectangle with two concave sides and a small image of a flame in its center.

Silver piece Edit

The silver piece is the smallest coin in the Fire Nation. It is pentagonal in shape with the national emblem on its front.^[7] Although small in size, it is considered to be the second most valuable coin in the Fire Nation.

Gold piece Edit

The gold piece is the longest coin in the Fire Nation and is mostly rectangular in shape with a long slit running from its base to slightly below its top.^[7] Consisting entirely of gold, these pieces are the most valuable coins in the Fire Nation.

United Republic of Nations Edit

The United Republic of Nations' currency is called a yuan.^[8] Denominations of the yuan are available as both metal coins and paper bills. The paper bill features Avatar Aang on the obverse and an image of City Hall on the reverse,^[9] whereas the coins are golden in color, octagonal in shape, and have two characters printed on them, one above the other.^[10] There are also round, one yuan coins which feature a square in in their design.

Trivia Edit

• In the World of Avatar, it is the metal and not the currency itself, that is valuable,^[2] much as it was in many parts of the world before the adoption of the banknote. This is known as intrinsic value in numismatic circles.
• Earth Kingdom copper pieces are similar to Chinese coins before the Qin Dynasty.
• Fire Nation currency resembles some Chinese coins during the Warring States period.
• The Chinese word that is used to refer to the Fire Nation currency is 板 , which literally means a metal slab.
• The yuan is also the informal name of the basic unit of currency in China.
• The United Republic yuan is the only known currency to use both coins and paper bills.

References Edit

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Avatar Day". John O'Bryan (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. April 28, 2006. No. 5, Book Two: Earth ↑ "The Blind Bandit". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. May 5, 2006. No. 6, Book Two: Earth ↑ "Imprisoned". Matthew Hubbard (writer) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 25, 2005. No. 6, Book One: Water ↑ "Bato of the Water Tribe". Ian Wilcox (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 7, 2005. No. 15, Book One: Water ↑ "The Northern Air Temple". Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (writer) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 4, 2005. No. 17, Book One: Water ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The Runaway". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 2, 2007. No. 7, Book Three: Fire ↑ The Legend of Korra Press Site - Character descriptions. Viacom International Inc. (March 2012). Retrieved on March 17, 2012. ↑ Welcome to Republic City. Nickelodeon (April 6, 2012). Retrieved on April 20, 2012. ↑ The Republic City Run game on nick.com

See also Edit

• Economy in the World of Avatar

Start a Discussion Discussions about Currency

You can find discussions about everything related to this wiki on Avatar Wiki Forum!