Economy of Corvel — Reference Document
Purpose: Canonical reference for currency, pricing, wages, and economic context in the world of Corvel. Consult this file when writing any scene involving money, prices, payments, or financial stakes.
Last updated: Ch09 final (2026-03-06)
1. Currency Denominations
| Denomination |
Material |
Notes |
| Copper |
Small copper coin |
Base unit. Common in daily transactions. |
| Half-silver |
Thin silver coin, half-width |
= 5 coppers. Real denomination, not slang. |
| Silver |
Standard silver coin |
= 10 coppers. Primary unit for goods and services. |
| Gold |
Larger gold coin |
= 100 silvers = 1,000 coppers. Wealth-class transactions only. |
Exchange rates:
- 10 coppers = 1 silver
- 2 half-silvers = 1 silver
- 100 silvers = 1 gold
2. Cost of Living — Reference Table
Food & Drink
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Street meal (bread, cheese, apple, dried meat) |
~4–5 coppers |
Ch04 (Phelan's first non-austerity meal) |
| Tavern meal (hot, with ale) |
~8 coppers |
Extrapolated |
| Proper sit-down meal |
~1.5 silvers |
Extrapolated |
| Month of food (eating properly) |
~1.5 silvers |
Ch04 (monthly expense calculation) |
| Month of food (austerity) |
~1 silver |
Implied pre-guild |
| Ale (tavern) |
2–3 coppers |
Extrapolated |
Lodging
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Dockside shack (Phelan's) |
2 silvers/month |
Ch04 (monthly expenses) |
| Decent room above a shop |
~5 silvers/month |
Extrapolated (Leon's likely range) |
| Comfortable quarters |
~8–12 silvers/month |
Extrapolated |
| Noble-district housing |
30+ silvers/month |
Extrapolated |
Herbs & Supplies
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Common herbs (chamomile, feverwort) |
1–3 coppers/bundle |
Extrapolated from Gavren's shop |
| Specialty herbs (thornwell root, sweetbalm) |
5–15 coppers |
Extrapolated |
| Refined/rare (silverthorn, powdered) |
1–5 silvers |
Ch01 (Mere's purchase, premium product) |
| Hand-ground silverthorn (4x powdered price) |
4–20 silvers |
Extrapolated |
Magical Goods
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Focusing rods (retail, overpriced) |
2 silvers each |
Ch02 (noted as 40% overpriced) |
| Focusing rods (fair price) |
~1.2 silvers |
Ch02 (implied) |
| Ward-resistance compound |
3 silvers/vial |
Ch06 (Carter's price); guild price 6 silvers |
| Binding salts (bulk) |
2–5 coppers |
Extrapolated |
| Binding salts (refined) |
1–2 silvers |
Ch01 (Mere's purchase) |
| Calibration-grade runestones |
3–8 silvers |
Extrapolated |
Equipment
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Rope (quality) |
4 silvers |
Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
| Medical kit |
8 silvers |
Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
| Light source (ceramic rod) |
2 silvers |
Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
| New boots |
~3–5 silvers |
Ch05 (purchased, amount unspecified) |
| Full guild equipment loadout |
20 silvers |
Ch06 (guild catalogue total) |
| Carter's equivalent loadout |
7 silvers |
Ch06 (including bonus ward-resistance vial) |
Services
| Service |
Cost |
Source |
| Licensed warding work (full property) |
~200 silvers |
Extrapolated from house cost breakdown |
| Self-sourced warding |
~140 silvers |
Extrapolated |
| Healing magic (minor) |
5–15 silvers |
Extrapolated |
| Healing magic (serious) |
50+ silvers |
Extrapolated |
Daily & Miscellaneous
| Item |
Cost |
Source |
| Common clothing |
3–8 silvers |
Extrapolated |
| Horse hire (day) |
5–8 coppers |
Extrapolated |
3. Income Brackets
| Social Class |
Monthly Income |
Notes |
| Unskilled laborer / dockworker |
5–8 silvers |
Subsistence level |
| Skilled tradesperson / shop worker |
12–20 silvers |
Phelan's Gavren's pay was likely in this range |
| Guild specialist (Tier One) |
15 silver retainer + job fees |
Ch04 — Phelan's starting tier |
| Established merchant |
30–80 silvers |
Comfortable, growing savings |
| Minor noble income |
1–5 golds/month |
Land rents, investments |
| Major noble / trade house |
10+ golds/month |
Political-class wealth |
Guild economics (Tier One):
- Monthly retainer: 15 silvers
- Job fees: variable (40 silvers for field retrieval, Ch07)
- Commission: 20% of job fees (retainer is not taxed)
- Minimum: 2 engagements per quarter
- Net from first job: 32 silvers (40 minus 20%)
4. Magic's Effect on Pricing
- Mass-produced magical goods undercut artisan equivalents in some markets, creating tension between traditional craftspeople and licensed enchanters.
- Licensed magical services carry an Arcane Compact tax (~15–20% premium), which is why guild catalogue prices are steep (e.g., ward-resistance compound at 6 silvers vs. Carter's 3).
- Unlicensed work is 30–40% cheaper but carries legal risk — practitioners can lose their license, clients can be fined.
- Healing magic cost is why infection still kills — most people can't afford magical treatment. Herbalism and trained surgeons handle the majority of medical care.
- Magical construction is a luxury: guild halls, noble estates, public works. Phelan's house estimate includes 200 silvers for warding alone.
5. Financial Anchor Points
These are key reference values for calibrating new prices:
| Anchor |
Value |
Context |
| Phelan's starting wealth |
12 coppers + 1 shaved half-silver |
Ch01 — "two to three meals" |
| Phelan's monthly expenses (basic) |
~4.5 silvers |
Rent 2s + food 1.5s + incidentals 1s (Ch04) |
| Phelan's house goal |
~1,300 silvers (13 golds) |
Ch01 — 800 materials, 60 permits, 200 warding, 300 labor |
| Leon's Mallory crystal sale |
1,200 silvers (12 golds) |
Ch05 — "windfall" benchmark, life-changing sum |
| Tier One job fee (field retrieval) |
40 silvers gross / 32 net |
Ch07–09 — moderate-risk solo job |
| Guild equipment (full loadout) |
20 silvers (guild) / 7 silvers (Carter) |
Ch06 — price comparison shows guild markup |
| "Forty silvers would keep the rent current and leave enough to actually eat" |
Phelan's internal framing |
Ch08 — shows 40s = several months of security |
Cross-reference: See /world/story-summary-book1.md Section 5 (Phelan's Financial Ledger) for chapter-by-chapter income/expense tracking.
Update this document when new prices, wages, or economic details are established in prose. All values stated in published chapters are canon.
