Laeralian mark

The Laeralian mark (Code: LRM, Symbol: 分, French: Marque Laeralien, Mandarin: Sīchóuguó fēn) is the official currency of Laeral. The basic unit of the currency is the mark, which is divided into 100 fen, or cents. The current Laeralian mark replaced the old or "Republican" mark in 1974 at a rate of 1000 to one due to hyperinflation following the Great War.

History

The old or Republican mark was instituted in 1924 by the Republic of Laeral, replacing the Laeralian florin. Following the Great War, the hyperinflation of the Republican Mark and the desire to move away from institutions of the Republican Era led to the issuance of the new Laeralian mark on January 1, 1974 at a rate of 1000:1 with the old Republican Mark. Subsequent, more fiscally-conservative governments and the institution of market-based economic reforms have resulted in low inflation and a positive balance-of-payments, strengthening the mark compared to reserve currencies such as the Sanctarian Pound. The exchange rate compared to the NSD reserve currency has fluctuated from around 20 to one in the 1970s to around 1.20 to one as of October 2022.

Coins

Laeralian Mark Coins (Uniform across coinings)

Denomination	Obverse	Reverse
10 fen	Plum blossom	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin
25 fen	Twin cornucopias	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin
50 fen	Clasped hands with pen and brush	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin
分1	Duck with ducklings	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin, surrounded by floral wreath
分2	Traditional riverboat	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin, surrounded by bamboo
分5	Snow leopard	Value, date, "Laeral" in French and Mandarin, surrounded by birds in flight

Banknotes

There have been three full-series printings of the mark (in 1974, 1995, and 2013) as well as several commemorative printings: a 分100 note commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Réne Gramont in 1984, a 2000 printing honoring Laeralian scientific pioneers, a 2007 printing honoring Laeralian artists and writers, and a forthcoming 2022 分5 note honoring the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Laeral. Each bill features an individual's portrait on the obverse and a depiction of a work of art, natural scene, or piece of technology on the reverse.

Laeralian Mark Banknotes (1974, 1995, 2013 printings)

Denomination	Theme	Obverse	Reverse	Watermark
分1	Varied	Rene Gramont	Outline of Laeral
分2
分5
分10		Emperor Sun Liang (all printings)
分20
分50
分100
分500
分1000