Created by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane on Aug 16, 2016 @ 4:11pm

GOLD-PRESSED LATINUM

Since its inception, one of the Federation's primary goals has been free and unhindered trade across the stars. Although the core worlds have advanced economically to the point where they no longer use money, there is no escaping the fact that currency of some sort is always needed, whether it be to trade on the intergalactic stock exchanges or to barter on the other rim worlds.

GOLD-PRESSED LATINUM is the currency most widely accepted across the known galaxy. Latinum itself is a rare silver-coloured liquid that is melded with gold, and comes in many simple denominations, such as the slip, the strip, and the brick/bar. 100 slips are worth a strip, and 20 strips are worth a bar.

When the Ferengi joined the Federation in 2395 (known as The Great Merger on Ferenginar), they gained access to the Federation's already-mighty trading bloc. They oversee and direct the Federation's macro-economy, and have been responsible for keeping a steady course in galactic markets since then, including a steady build-up of the Federation's reserves of gold-pressed latinum. Although some sociologists have wondered aloud at how quickly the Ferengi have shifted their economic philosophy without massive social upheaval, most see it as a financial master-stroke and a perfect example of how seizing a business opportunity can result in long-term gains.