ZORKMID

    "A zorkmid saved is a zorkmid earned."
                                        -unknown

The gold zorkmid was the main unit of currency of the Great Underground Empire, and is still used in most parts of the kingdom today. Although zorkmids (as well as zorkies and zorkles) had been in circulation long before even the time of Duncanthranx, curtosey of the zorkmid tree, the first zorkmid was minted on Augur 16, 699 GUE, during the reign of Belwit the Flat. This coin bore the likeness of Belwit, the year, and the coin's value on the front, while on the back it had a picture of Egreth Castle, with the motto "In Frobs We Trust" stamped in two different languages.

Since the steady supply of zorkmid coinage had gradually dwindled after the Zorkmid Blight, it was Belwit's creative and daring response to this economic crisis that saw the birth of the minted zorkmid, the stable currency upon which we still rely today. He took the radical step of ordering the minting of the first regular issue of Quendoran zorkmids. Although the order itself came down from the throne in 695, it was not until the third week in Augur, 699, that the mints underneath Egreth were finally readied to stamp the first coin with a design that had been four years in the making. Historians are still puzzled over the reasons behind Belwit's decision to begin the production of official, government-approved zorkmids. Regardless, it is clear that the advanced system of currency that was put into official use by Belwit was not in fact a new system.

Zorkmids of different denominations were later issued, including the 500 and 10,000 zm coins, and the 100 zm bill. The largest issue was a 100,000 zm bill. Only one of these was ever printed, at the request of J. Pierpont Flathead.
One of the biggest bafflements of history are the inscriptions found upon the 100zm bill and the 10,000 zm coin. The bill is dated in the year 719 GUE, and respectively, the coin in the year 722, but Dimwit Flathead, whose face appears on both, was not even born until the year 723. Countless theories have abounded in attempt to solve this mystery, the most popular being: it was an unauthentic forgery, a misprint, a different Flathead, or another case of time travel. A time travel device was once present in the Royal Museum, so time travel is definitely not out of the question, and perhaps should taken more seriously as the solution to this dilemma.

Another bizarity is the "657 GUE" Idwit Oogle Flathead 1zm coin, which is indentical in every respect to the "857 GUE" coin save the date. Although a few historians suspect this as another case of time travel, this one is most likely due to a misprint.

Other events linked to the zorkmid include the minting of thousands upon thousands of golden zorkmids for the sole purpose of being spent by the royal treasury in an effort to finance Dimwit's remarkable and excessive ceremonies and construction projects. It should also be noted that by the end of 789 GUE, every single zorkmid of commerce in the Great Underground Empire was controlled by FrobozzCo Inc.

It may also be interesting to note that although the zorkmid was not being minted yet, by the end of the reign of Zylon the Aged (398 GUE), nearly every coin in the Quendor treasury bore the wizened likeness of him; no other king had held the throne in over three hundred years. Even in those days, the gold pieces minted in the distant age of Entharion the Wise and Mysterion the Brave were valuable collector’s items almost impossible to find.

CONVERSION CHART
1 zorkmid = 10 silver zorkles
1 zorkimd = 100 copper zorkie

Zorkmid Souvenir Press
Zorkmid Pressed into Letter Opener
Zorkmid Change Machine (A) / (B)

TYPES OF KNOWN CURRENCY
TYPE YEAR PORTRAIT DESCRIPTION IMAGE
1zm copper coin 699 Belwit the Flat The coin bears the likeness of Belwit the Flat, along with the inscriptions, "One Zorkmid," and "699 GUE." On the other side, the coin depicts Egreth Castle, and says "In Frobs We Trust" inseveral languages. front
back
both
pile of (A)
pile of (B)
1zm gold coin ? Dimwit Flathead The coin pictures a man with an incredibly flat head, wearing a gaudy crown.
1zm coin (A) 857 Idwit Oogle Flathead front
1zm coin (B) 657 Idwit Oogle Flathead This coin is most likely a misprint of the above. front
5zm coin ? ? This is a rare quint coin, similar in shape and size to an old Chinese coin, complete with a square hole in its center. Stamped on its face is "5 Zorkmids."
5zm bill ? ? ?
10zm bill ? ? ?
100zm bill 719 Dimwit Flathead Each bill is worth 100 zorkmids, and bears the legend "In Frobs We Trust." front
500zm gold coin ? ? ?
500zm bill ? unknown person ? front
10000zm coin 722 Dimwit Flathead This is a beautiful octagonal coin bearing the legends "Ten Thousand Zorkmids" and "In Frobs We Trust". (These were rare collector's items by the mid-tenth century). front
100000zm bill ? ? The denomination of the bill is 100,000 zorkmids. Only one such bill was ever printed, and that was at the personal request of J. Pierpont Flathead.
? silver coin ? Boat This zorkmid is possibly an Obolus. These grow on zorkmid trees and have been used to buy passage to Ferryman's Isle. front

TRIVIA:

SOURCE(S): X   ??? (for boll weevil question)