“It doesn’t matter whether you actually own the gold or not, as long as others believe you do.”
Animusfia said somewhat mockingly:
"That's credit."
"Credit...."
Nero placed his chin against his jaw and repeated the words Animusfia said.
She seemed to understand Animusfia's words.
In Rome of this era, the precious metal material of silver and gold coins represented the credibility of currency.
And if Nero shows others that she has so much wealth, she will naturally add credit to her.
"But I actually don't have that much gold and silver to mint coins."
"We don't need to actually pay that much gold, Your Majesty."
Animusfia said with a smile.
"How can I mint coins without paying so much? Could it be... that I have to forge it?!"
Nero seemed to have a sudden enlightenment, and he made a fist with his right hand and punched his palm.
History is full of some whimsical kings who chose to add too many impurities to the currency printed with their own faces.
The value of the precious metal material of currency itself will be greatly reduced as a result.
At the same time, monarchs who choose to do so will also be stained with stigma.
Unfortunately, one of the pioneers of this was Nero Claudius.
Animusfia couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
What a willful emperor, His Majesty Nero.
In order to make money after the Great Fire of Rome, Nero artificially reduced the gold and silver content of Roman Auris gold coins and dinar silver coins by amending the law.
Then the original currency was recast, indirectly plundering the wealth of society.
If these were just acceptable currency devaluations, Nero's subsequent method of plating lead with silver was a complete fraud.
The hearts and minds that Nero had won over by giving out benefits and gifts in his early years were almost all gone at this time.
This laid another hidden danger for the end of the dynasty in the future.
"Your Majesty, doing that will cause big problems."
At this point, Animusfia could not let Nero go back to his old ways under such internal and external troubles.
"Hmm...what should I do then?"
Nero covered his head in distress, trying to think of a better way.
"Even if I am a genius, it is difficult for me to think of a good solution."
"well...."
Animusfia sighed and picked up a pile of papyrus placed randomly from the desk in the Senate Palace.
This primitive tool invented by the Egyptians spread throughout the Mediterranean with the rise of civilization in the Mediterranean world.
It naturally became a weapon used by the Romans to record things.
However, due to the limitations of raw materials, papyrus is expensive and difficult to preserve. Documents and books are often damaged and need to be copied again.
According to the current era, parchment, invented about three hundred years ago, will gradually replace papyrus in the future until the true papermaking technology is introduced from the East.
Nero looked at the papyrus in Animusfia's hand with some confusion.
Under the control of Animusfia, a steady stream of magic power was poured into the stack of papyrus in his hand.
The originally yellowed paper gradually turned blue-black, and even had a faint metallic texture.
The original fragile feeling of papyrus is gone.
Although he had seen Animusfia's magic several times, Nero could not help but be amazed by this sight.
Animusfia's eyes turned from the papyrus in her hand to Nero's face.
"Your Majesty, could you please smile at me?"
"Hmm, of course it's no problem, Governor, just enjoy Yu Zhi's beauty."
Nero said as he puffed up his chest proudly.
Somewhat dazzling.
Animusfia thought this involuntarily.
He is saying that Nero's smile is dazzling, and there is no other meaning. Don't get it wrong, bad guys.
Animusfia forced herself to look away in embarrassment.
Although Animusfia is a gentleman who is very sure of human body beauty.
But if personal preferences always control his behavior, this is obviously not good.
What's more, Animusfiya is not qualified to see it.
No matter how much Nero wanted to show off his "beauty", the conservative Animusfia always felt that certain gestures of Nero should only be reserved for a special person.
Those gestures were not something that a person like him who was destined to become a mere passerby could appreciate at will.
The same goes for Ritsuka.
In this way, Animusfia's eyes switched back and forth between the superposition of seeing and not seeing, and finally portraits of Nero were printed on the metallic-glossy papyrus.
"Hmm, I didn't expect that the Governor is also an artist! The paintings of Yu are so lifelike."
Nero looked at himself on the papyrus and nodded with satisfaction.
Animusfia waved her hand gently, and the papyrus pile seemed to be cut open by an invisible sharp blade, divided into several parts of the same size.
Hundreds of "banknotes" appeared in Animusfia's hands in just a few seconds.
"What if I say that a piece of paper like this is worth one Oris gold coin?"
"Hmm, with such an exquisite painting on it, it's worth ten gold coins, right?"
Taking a piece of "paper money", Nero said proudly while looking at it, and then looked at more papyrus aside with some pity.
"It's a pity that they are all exactly the same. Once there are too many works of art, the value will depreciate. You can't support the whole of Rome just by selling the remaining portraits."
Animusfia shook her head lightly and said:
"They are not works of art, Your Majesty. They are currency."
Animusfia casually picked up a silver coin that she had taken out from the Temple of Saturn.
"Same as this dinar."
"Are you saying...distribute these as gold?"
"Yes, to a certain extent. If a Roman citizen brings this [Oris] to you in exchange for a gold coin, what is the difference between this piece of paper and gold?"
Animusfia was not prepared to introduce a more complex economic system to transform Rome, and only chose the gold standard, which was the most effective and convenient in the short term.
Using gold and silver to mint currency is essentially a form of the gold standard.
The process of inserting banknotes is actually quite simple.
However, unlike gold coins, paper money itself has no value and is easily counterfeited.
However, Animusfia intends to take full charge of printing money. After going through the process of magic and magic injection, it will not only improve the strength of the papyrus, but also play a role in preventing counterfeiting.
“But what should the citizens do if they only recognize gold and silver coins?”
Nero raised the real difficulty.
"At this time, you need your own credit. First, let the average person believe that you really have such a sum of gold. Now you have done it."
Animusfia pointed to the square behind the wall and said so.
“Then it’s a matter of being trusted to redeem your currency.”
"How can Yu make people believe in Yu?"
Nero asked Animusfia.
"I have a solution for this, so you don't have to worry. You just need to cooperate with me."
In fact, Animusfia plans to manufacture not only [gold coupons], but also a series of supporting products such as [food coupons], [salt coupons] and even [cloth coupons].
At that time gold will have no value of its existence.
Now it is just playing a transitional role.
"That's it..."
Nero looked thoughtfully at his portrait on the banknote.
It was customary for gold coins to be minted with the monarch's portrait on them, and Nero himself had two or three coins.
Yet never before has the portrait been so exquisite on a page.
Exactly like her.
The main part on the banknote is Nero's portrait, and behind the portrait is the gorgeous high-walled courtyard of the palace, and the city of Rome can be vaguely glimpsed outside the balcony.
Upon closer inspection, she even felt that the images on it alone were worth thousands of gold.
It's a pity to use it as currency like this.
.....
But under the gray and black background of the banknotes, it looks a little lonely.
That should be the palace on the Palatine Hill.
But Nero's palace had already been reduced to nothing along with the Praetorian Guards.
.....
She was the only one left.
"Sir Animusfia."
Nero suddenly called out to Animusfia who was about to leave.
"Please do as you wish, Your Majesty."
Animusfia stopped respectfully and turned around.
Nero, who was used to his pretentious posture, did not continue to delve deeper.
"Can your portrait be added to this banknote?"
"...Of course. It will just add another big job to me..."
"Well, if you work more, work more. Who made you the governor of Yu?"
"As you command...Your Majesty."
What a willful emperor.
Animusfia sighed again.
At some point, you will inevitably become a tyrant.
In other words, become a monarch like Nero.
"Is it acceptable for Yu to paint with you?"
Animusfia's expression suddenly became a little complicated.
"What's wrong, don't you believe in Yu's artistic level?"
"No, I definitely didn't mean that. It's just that a total of tens of millions of such banknotes would be produced. Are you sure?"
"Hmm, Yu is a genius, why would he shrink from such a level of challenge?"
"Then please come with me."
Animusfia walked towards the warehouse where the Senate documents were stored.
.......
A few hours later.
"Ah! Governor~~~~ I'm really tired. I can only stop here."
Animusfia looked helplessly at Nero, who was rolling on the ground like a child after three minutes of heat.
