Ross Fisher Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) It had taken the RNTC a while to grease the wheels of power enough to get the permits to open their own mint. But this was one of the few places where the failed invasion of Terraversa had actually worked to their advantage. While the war was ongoing, Oleon had withheld permission; worried that a victorious RNTC might be gaining too much power, too quickly. Evidently, that was not such a risk any more. Just as well, really; by waiting for silver to travel to the mainland mints and back, the RNTC were struggling to make payments in a timely fashion. And while their business partners might, grudgingly, accept credit notes in place of cash; unpaid troops meant unsecured warehouses. News of the permit reached Gascard weeks before the official paperwork - government couriers were notoriously slow. Nonetheless, it was all the confirmation he needed to commission his architect and get things moving. Construction was built with security first and foremost in mind. The plot chosen was in the farmland; with a double wall surrounding the entire site, and regular watchtowers along its length. And, if the wild gorse and brambles in the area weren't enough of a deterrent, Gascard had also allowed local beekeepers to place their hives between the walls. He had also agreed with the crown and the local governor on the need for multiple layers of security. As such, ore shipments, the walls, and the factory itself were all guarded by separate security forces, with checks and procedures in place to ensure that even a single pound of silver couldn't leave its location without being accounted for. The raw ore, for example, would be stored in a dedicated vault, guarded by chosen veterans from Oleon's wars of conquest. It would then go through the long and arduous process of being smelted and refined, in order to extract the precious metal. Only then could it be forged into the valuable silver "blanks", ready for the minting process. Other mints elsewhere used the traditional pair of stamps known as "dyes". Clamped around a blank coin, and given a solid application of pressure, they would imprint the appropriate markings onto the coin. But Gascard had seen the inconsistencies of this process, and just how slow it made everything run. Instead he had brought in "nodding donkeys" from the dockside pumps. These would ensure a regular rate of progress, and they would guarantee that blanks were stamped consistently. Not that the crown was prepared to take him at his word, of course. The RNTC might have been granted a license to mint coins on behalf of Oleon, but every one had to be certified as legal tender by a representative of his majesty's government. Only then, could Gascard arrange for the coinage to be shipped off to paymasters across the Brick Seas. Not a moment too soon, either. An army might march on its stomach, but a fleet sets sail on the promise of pay and pleasure in the ports of the world. And now, the RNTC had, quite literally, been given a license to print money. Many thanks to everyone who supported and participated in this project, including @Bodi @CapOnBOBS and @Khorne. I'm moving house now, so all my bricks have gone into storage. Fingers crossed that the council agrees to let us license this as a royal build! Extra photos: (spot the beehive!) Edited June 3, 2021 by Ross Fisher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KotZ Posted June 3, 2021 Wonderful builds! There are a lot of fun techniques in each of these builds that I'm seeing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thomas Waagenaar Posted June 3, 2021 Excellent collection of builds! I love the first picture nfrom the extra photo's. (Soldier with lamp) Mind if I steal that one as wallpaper for my work phone? ^^ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ross Fisher Posted June 3, 2021 7 minutes ago, Thomas Waagenaar said: Mind if I steal that one as wallpaper for my work phone? ^^ Yeah, go ahead! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NOD Posted June 3, 2021 Wow! Great collaboration from everyone! It is very good that in the first photo I can see a model of all the buildings, so that I can understand the context. Bees are good for defence. Everything is nicely built and it is a pleasure to see so many photos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khorne Posted June 4, 2021 It's great to see it all come together! Nice job on the write-up. The story adds some life to the builds. Great job team and especially to you Ross, for setting it all up and doing most of the builds and work! The first build with the model is probably my favorite one. I love how you managed to capture the other builds in microscale. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ross Fisher Posted June 4, 2021 (edited) On 6/3/2021 at 4:20 PM, NOD said: Bees are good for defence. I stole the idea from a documentary I saw about elephants in Africa. Apparently the best way to stop them eating crops is to string bee hives between two fence posts. When the elephants nudge them, the bees swarm out. Second best deterrent was to put a bunch of chilli powder and a firecracker in a condom and throw it at them. @Khorne thanks! Glad you like it. Wish I'd included @CapOnBOBS's windmill in the architect's model. Since we were all collaborating remotely, I think it needed a microscale model to bring things together just a little. Edited June 6, 2021 by Ross Fisher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Braunsfeld Posted June 6, 2021 Great stuff. I've been thinking about a mint too - now you beat me to it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ross Fisher Posted June 6, 2021 22 minutes ago, Captain Braunsfeld said: you beat me to it Gotta take advantage of that sweet silver bonus! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bregir Posted June 9, 2021 Really nice to see a large scale collab! The builds are overall very nice and you bluecoats are really pulling together a lot of effort. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be either the nodding donkey or the inspector, but they are all very nice! Good job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mesabi Posted June 19, 2021 Excellent series of builds from all involved. I love the mix of techniques, and styles, that all are centered around a singular theme. I love all of the steps shown, especially the 'mintage' stage with the robot hand being used as a tweezers. Great teamwork, and excellent job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Garmadon Posted June 19, 2021 Fantastic job, guys! - great work portraying all that's involved in the minting process, from planning to smelting (gotta call out that one!) to inspection, and I'm loving the red roofs across the whole scheme! As Khorne mentioned, the microscale first build really helps to picture the whole layout, and the details throughout are very fun to look over and discover. Congrats, you all! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
