Whose face is on the Gil coin?

[Anonymoose]

I was asked this question earlier today and I realized I've just never thought about it until now.

Have I missed a tidbit on this most basic of information somewhere?

The Gil coin is a standard currency throughout all of Eorzea, so I figure it must be something all of the city-states have had in common for a long time. So far, I can't think of anything other than the Twelve, so let's start there. The first suspect is, of course, Nald, the aspect of The Traders that oversees the living's financial fortune. However, the face is to my eyes quite feminine. The 1.0 icon for Gil also shows a reverse side that I can barely make out, but it seems to be a tree. Perhaps then the face is Nophica, goddess of abundance and prosperity? The figure also seems to be wearing a crown that is unlike the one I've seen Nophica wearing in SE's previous artwork - it does, however, look akin to that of the Sultana... It'd be strange for one city-state to make all of the realm's currency in their own ruler's image even when the nations commonly found themselves against one another... but if one city were to do so, it would be Ul'dah...

Any ideas?


EDIT: Mystery solved! See below (Thanks, Community Teams!)

[FJerome]

Perhaps it's one of the saints/guardians? They're universal enough in Ezorea that everyone uses the same set on their guildleve plates so they should be universal enough for a common currency.

[Enkidoh]

Knowing SE, it's probably nothing specific but just a generic face to make it seem realistic - although having said that, in FFXI it was stated that it was Duke Kam'lanaut's face on the 'heads' side of Vana'dielian gil, so maybe the Eorzean version also has someone from Eorzean history after all.

Although it's unclear exactly when the Eorzean citystates moved over to a single common currency, given Ul'dah's status as centre of trade and also the apparent capital of finance in Eorzea, I wouldn't be surprised if it would actually be a past Sultan or Sultana who may have played a part in setting up said single currency. Bu I'm grasping at straws here.

[Empressia]

ummmmm those garlean soldiers u killed dropped gils too, so there's quite a possibility that gil is a world wide currency from ancient time (do i have to mention NYMIANs aka Tonberries also drop gils too?)

[Myranda]

Well, here's an idea: it's possible there isn't a single version of the gil and each city-state could mint their own version, similar to the reverse side of the Euro where the individual countries have freedom of design.

There is some evidence to support this where both obverse and reverse sides are variable, though admittedly it also comes from evidence for limited run commemorative coins (see my post #7 below for the text that goes with this image!!! I know many want to think these are GC seals just looking at the image, but I reason that it's still more likely they are gil):

A one-gil coin minted by the three Grand Companies of Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah to commemorate the reforming of the Eorzean Alliance. Guaranteed never to depreciate in value!

This also seems to imply that as far as game-mechanics-simplification goes, we are only shown a grand total of gil with a generic coin symbol, purposefully obfuscated. The quoted description leads me to believe there would be several different denominations of coin according to the lore, as would make sense for any real physical monetary system.

I would hedge my bets then that each city-state mints their own normal currency in addition to the commemorative coins and is free to put whatever historic figures/dieties appropriate to themselves on each denomination, with an agreement between the cities to honor each others' currency for ease of trade.

It's also clear that paper money is used in some capacity as the company seals. Might there actually be some large denominations of gil that are paper rather than coin?

[Enkidoh]

Those 'coins' are not actually gil though - those are actually Grand Company Seals (hence why each one is uniquely shaped, they each bare the face of each Company leader, and they also bear each Company's motto, such as the Gridania one clearly has written on it 'Woods Will be Done'.). There was a piece of artwork though that showed gold and silver coins on a table, amongst other things, but I can't find the pic at the moment sadly. In any event, we only have the coin icon from the game's interface to actually go on showing what gil actually looks like in Eorzea, as Moose already mentioned.

[Myranda]

Do you have a source that explicitly says they're seals and not gil? The mottos and leaders images alone I don't personally think are enough to cement them as seals. The GCs have become so intertwined with the cities now that their mottos are practically the motto of the city-state itself. I can't seem to find the original page of where that pic came from, so I don't know offhand what text accompanied it. (Nvm, found it, see below) The text for commemorative coin, while separate (but perhaps related, only speculation there), does specifically say it's a gil piece and that the GCs were the ones to mint it, so they do have the administrative power to do so.

Would be awesome though if you (or someone else) could find that other image you mention though, and any paired text would be a bonus.

Found the text for my image of the GC themed coins:

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com...9fb72099b16dbf

Never blinking and all-seeing, The Mythril Eye misses naught that transpires within the lustrous domain of coin. In today's edition, senior editor Havak Alvak takes a close look at Foundation Day, the celebration taking place across the sultanate that commemorates the revival of the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

The Founding of a Tradition

Ever since the Ministry of Palatial Affairs revealed the rekindling of the Immortal Flames, the latter has not spared a single spherule of sweat to promote its presence to the public. Stepping up their efforts, the Immortal Flames now host Foundation Day, a celebration commemorating the creation of the Grand Companies of Eorzea more than a millennium past.

According to our sources, the concept was conceived at a congregation of committee members for the Eorzean Alliance,* who recommended that the revelry be simultaneously sponsored by all three city-states. Contrived to curb the consternation of civilians while saturating soldiers with spirit and steadfastness, insiders indicate that the event is also intended to regulate the rivalry raging between the Grand Companies to attract adventurers to their ranks.

Regulated roistering aside, the return of the Immortal Flames alone has been a blessing for the burg. Not only has it aided the amelioration of anxiety over the Garlean threat; it also affords adventurers—rapidly rising as the realm's richest spenders—a steady supply of salary. The prevailing perspective at present is one of expedited economic expansion. Even as I put pen to paper, a curious case of collaboration is being brokered between market and monarchy for the minting of memorial money and the subsidization of salutes by firearms.

The current commercial climate is plainly propitious to profit. Whether you prefer to participate in a procession or peddle products to the public, we at The Mythril Eye enthusiastically encourage participation in the pomp and pageantry as a means of monitoring market movement.

Havak Alvak


[The Eorzean Alliance]

A military alliance established in the 1561st year of the Sixth Astral Era in the wake of Ala Mhigo's fall to the Garlean Empire. Although initially formed of the four remaining sovereign city-states of Eorzea, the Ishgardians soon withdrew from the treaty, taking with them a bulk of the alliance's military might. In part due to this, no joint standing army ever eventuated from the coalition, which has had to rely upon the privately run Adventurers' Guild for the handling of such security issues as the beast tribe threat.

With the reemergence of the Grand Companies, the demand for adventurers soars to a new high as each organization moves to entice capable soldiers to join its ranks.

The bit I bolded sounds like it has more to do with general economy (gil) than anything GC specific, and that's where the image appears. Still far from conclusive though, I admit. I'd just personally lean to them more likely being gil than seals.

I'll note I'm not trying to say ALL gil would carry those 3 designs since they'd clearly be special runs, but that the symbol we see in game next to the gil we own is probably a generic one.

[QuinceTaru]

Those coins were KIs in 1.0 that you got for getting max rank in GC you traded them to a moblin for 20k seals

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...emorative-Coin <---- Forum link from 1.0 about this coins

[WellGramarye]

Its Yoshi p!

[Wadoka]

Can you zoom in with enough detail to see the face of the "gil" we have to pick up, for those low-level quests in Ul'dah? Genevieve (?) in the Coliseum, and the little collecting trip for Hamon Holyfist? I never thought about it...