Game of Thrones fans, want to have real currency in the world of Westeros — and amongst your fellow diehard fans here on earth? Then you might want to look into a new Kickstarter that’s planning on minting “pre-conquest coins of Westeros. The designs even have the stamp of approval from A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin himself, who has licensed them to proceed with minting the metal pieces.
“The coin makers of Shire Post Mint bring you solid metal coins from the thousands of years of history before the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros,” the campaign explains. They’ve also put together maps of Westeros for the coins to be displayed in, 50 of which are signed by Martin himself. The project was launched on Oct. 2 — and fully funded within a mere four hours. By Friday, it had already racked up nearly $30,000 in pledges from over 200 backers.
Made of bronze, copper, iron, nickel and brass, the Arkansas-based family company has designed over 40 different pieces with Martin’s partnership over the years. This set includes everything from a crude-looking bronze “Coin of the First Men” to a solid brass “Loreon I Lannister Gold Lion” featuring the likeness of, yes, a Lannister ancestor to a copper “Night’s Watch Token.” For $1,000, contributors will get the full set of 11 new coins with a fancy wood map signed by Martin, while just $10 will give you a single “Garth VII Gardener Goldenhand Coin.”
The designers have a history in the fantasy currency business: they’ve also made novelty coins for franchises like The Lord of the Rings and The Kingkiller Chronicles.
