Shire Post Mint is making Westerosi coins from before the Conquest—Check out the Kickstarter!

Authentic fantasy coin makers Shire Post Mint has launched a Kickstarter campaign that will make available to the public coins used in Westeros (if Westeros really existed) thousands of years before Aegon the Conqueror and his dragon Balerion the Black Dread united the Seven Kingdoms under one ruler.

The coins are officially licensed by A Song of Ice and Fire author and Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin. Top Kickstarter donors will receive “an extremely limited edition of 50 wood and glowing resin” coin maps showing where each coin was used in Westeros before Aegon’s Invasion, signed by Martin himself.

The campaign had a goal of $10,000, but with 202 backers since it started on Tuesday, it has already reached $25,819. The thing was fully funded within four hours, because fake coins are awesome. Here’s some of what the Shire Post Mint will make with that money, all of them cast in metals like bronze, copper, iron, nickel and brass:

Coin of the First Men: “This tiny coin was found in one of the less inhabited Stepstones. Maesters presume that the coin was dropped during the First Men’s journey over what was once the land bridge between Essos and Westeros. The First Men were known to have cattle and bronze weapons during their journey into Westeros. The First Men spent thousands of years populating Westeros and creating hundreds of kingdoms across the land. The other side of this coin may have had a design at one point but it seems to have worn away with time.”

Kings of Salt and Rock: “The oldest surviving records at the Citadel reveal that each of the Iron Islands was once a separate kingdom, ruled by not one but two kings, a rock king and a salt king. The rock king ruled the island itself. The salt king commanded at sea.”

Artys Arryn Star: “Prior to his coronation as the first King of Mountain and Vale, Ser Artys Arryn, called the Falcon Knight, was an Andal knight who defeated the First Men of the Vale in the Battle of the Seven Stars. On his shield he bore the moon-and-falcon and a pair of falcon’s wings decorated his silver warhelm, earning him the nickname of the Falcon Knight. He later built the Gates of the Moon. The Andals were devout to the Faith of the Seven and spread the religion throughout the Seven Kingdoms.”

Garth VII Gardener Goldenhand: “Garth VII Gardener, also known as Garth Goldenhand, was a King of the Reach. He is considered the greatest Gardener King in the history of the Reach, for his deeds both in war and in peace. He became king at twelve and had reigned for eighty-one years when he died. This period became known as the Golden Reign, and was when the Reach truly flowered. The oak leaves and tree represent the Oakenseat, the he ancestral throne of the Gardener kings.”

Night’s Watch Token: “Only a small number of these tokens were ever minted. They were given to the most senior brothers of the Night’s Watch and would be passed down to younger brothers for acts of courage, honor, or commitment to the order of the Night’s Watch. The small number of tokens were lost over time and the tradition faded away. From a time long past when taking the black was a great honor, steeped in valor. These non-monetary tokens were minted at Winterfell and sent to the Wall to help bolster morale and a sense of brotherhood.  Not many of these coins have survived and customs surrounding them is not clearly known.”

Durran Durrandon Storm Penny: “A small weathered coin found on Storm’s End. It simply reads ‘Durran,’ it is unclear which of the Storm Kings named Durran Durrandon had this coin minted in his own honor. Some theorize it was make during the reign of the legendary Durran Godsgrief who built Storm’s End, though no one can be sure. This heavily worn coin features two crowned stags of the Durrandon sigil and a tower of Storm’s End. Under the portrait of a bearded man is simply the word ‘Durran.’

Theon Stark Coin of Winterfell: “King Theon Stark fiercely defended the north during the Andal invasion when all other kingdoms of Westeros had lost in battle. He was known as the Hungry Wolf from his gaunt appearance and the constant state of war during his reign. A statue of Theon can be found in the crypts of Winterfell.”

Princess Nymeria Coin: “Princess Nymeria was a Rhoynish leader who escaped Essos with many women and children when the Valyrians conquered the Rhoyne with their dragons. After years of travel, the group eventually settled in Dorne. Nymeria wed Mors Martell around 700 BC, leading to the creation of the Sunspear sigil of house Nymeros Martell that represents their union. Together, they conquered Dorne. The Sunspear castle was built after their victory. She fiercely commanded armies and ruled for years, even after the death of her first husband.”

Loreon I Lannister Golden Lion: “The thick coin was minted by the first known Lannister King, Loreon I Lannister. He was nicknamed ‘Loreon the Lion’ and ‘Loreon the Golden.’  He married a daughter of House Reyne of Castamere, making them his vassals. A fierce leader, Loreon defeated the last Hooded King of the Age of Heroes and fed the body to his lions. This coin would have been made in abundance at the time since the stone of Casterly Rock was rich with gold ore.”

Harrenhal the Blackened: “This intricate coin was minted to celebrate the completion of the incredible fortress, Harrenhal. The largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, it took 40 years to construct. Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, believed that the fortress could withstand any attack. Aegon I Targaryen began his Conquest of Westeros and the fortress fell shortly after under Balerion’s fire. It would later be known as the Burning of Harrenhal. This coin was found, blackened, in one of the deepest chambers after the Burning.”

Aegon I Targaryen Golden Dragon: “The first Golden Dragon of the Targaryen Dynasty. Aegon’s Conquest would reshape Westeros entirely. Dates of Westerosi history are categorized as ‘Before Conquest’ and ‘After Conquest.’ Aegon together with his sister wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, subdued six of the seven Kingdoms during a two year campaign, resisted only by Dorne. Their dragons, Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes make up the newly formed three-headed dragon sigil of House Targaryen. This coin was minted shortly after the construction of the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne was made from a thousand swords surrendered by Aegon’s enemies and was assisted by Balerion’s fire.”

Shire Post Mint has made over 40 coins from Westeros and Essos since 2003, when the business was founded. All coins are struck one at a time in solid metals at the Shire Post Mint workshop in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Shire Post Mint has created coins from series other than A Song of Ice and Fire, too. They also make coins based on The Lord of the Rings, Mistborn, The Wheel of Time, The Kingkiller Chronicle, The Demon Cycle, Conan the Barbarian and John Carter of Mars. Head to their website for more info.

These coins are absolutely stunning. If you want to support their production, head over to the Kickstarter page. The Shire Post Mint website also has a lot to see.

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