Economy

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Ratonhnhaké:ton trading with a merchant in Boston

An economic system refers to the transactions and trade that individuals partake in. Most notably, through interaction with the economy, money can be earned to purchase items such as weapons and equipment from merchants, via the fulfillment of assassination contracts, pickpocketing, hiring thieves, looting treasure chests, or other more legitimate means.

Major currencies

The following represented the major currency of the region, during their respective time periods:

• Drachmae in Greece during the Peloponnesian War and in Ptolemaic Egypt.
• Copper banliang during the Qin dynasty of Imperial China, with taels used when trading outside the empire.
• Dirham in the 9th century Abbasid Caliphate.
• Silver and gold coins during the Viking expansion into the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
• Florins and ducats in Renaissance Italy.
• Akçe in the 16th century Ottoman Empire.
• Reales and escudos during the Reconquista in Spain and the Golden Age of Piracy in the West Indies.
• Pounds sterling in Colonial America and London, United Kingdom during the Victorian era. During the American Revolution, people also paid with Spanish, French, and Portuguese coins; wampum; or colony-specific bills, but it was simplified to pounds sterling in the Animus 3.0 and Helix.
• Écu in Colonial Louisiana.
• Livres in Paris, France both before and after the French Revolution.

Uncommon currencies

• Orichalcum in Greece during the Peloponnesian War, used by the merchant Sargon.
• Opal in Anglo-Saxon England during the Viking Expansion, used by Reda and his secret guild, The Thousand Eyes.
• Templar coins in Acre and Cyprus during the Third Crusade, used by the Levantine Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad to purchase better armor.
• Helix Credits in the simulated environments created by later Animus models and Helix.

15th century

The Villa Auditore's workshop

Banks were an essential part of everyday Renaissance life. The Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore came from a family of bankers, and by investing in renovating Monteriggioni, he and his sister Claudia received a share of the profits. Ezio used the money to pay for the following:

• Services offered by blacksmiths, doctors, and tailors;
• Hiring mercenaries, courtesans, and thieves;
• Bribing heralds;
• Purchasing paintings and maps from art merchants to find treasure chests;
• Lessons from mercenaries on how to use long and heavy weapons, as well as advanced application of throwing knives; and
• Caravan travel

Thieves would also attempt to rob Ezio; in the event that money had been stolen from him, Ezio could tackle or kill the thief to get it back.

16th century

Ezio speaking with an architect in Rome

During the liberation of Rome, Ezio generated income by lending money to reopen shops and faction buildings, repairing aqueducts, restoring sewer tunnels, and buying shares in landmarks.

He could also find exotic items in chests around the city to trade for special upgrades from the stores in Tiber Island, and repurchase the inventions of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex from Leonardo da Vinci. Upon restoring the city of Rome completely, Ezio was reunited with the Auditore cape for his efforts.

When Ezio arrived in Constantinople, many shops were closed after the Byzantines had captured the Assassin Dens and the surrounding area. By recapturing a Den, Ezio could reopen the shops, banks and faction buildings within the area, and they would remain open even if the Templars reoccupied a Den. However, should the Templars ever do so, there would be an additional 15% tax cost on all items that could be bought.

Ezio could then use the money earned by his shares in Constantinople's shops to renovate other cities reclaimed from the Templars, increasing his daily payment of akçe. He could also increase his revenue by purchasing items from book shops, improving the value of the library at the Galata headquarters. During his time in the city, he learned to use bombs and began buying them from black market dealers, and received ingredients from his apprentices in other cities, once they had surveyed the region for the Master Assassin Piri Reis.

18th century

During the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean, pirate captain and Assassin Edward Kenway traded goods such as sugar, rum, wood, metal, and cloth (the latter three which could be used to upgrade his ship, the Jackdaw) he acquired from captured vessels and floating cargo to harbormasters in return for Spanish Reales. He also commanded a fleet that traded with cities all across the Atlantic.

Achilles showing Homestead's ledger to Ratonhnhaké:ton

The economy of the American colonies in the 18th century were based around the crafting and trading of goods. Ratonhnhaké:ton and Aveline de Grandpré earned money by arranging the transportation of materials and goods. Ratonhnhaké:ton typically obtained many goods by hunting or buying them from the residents of the Davenport Homestead, while Aveline could purchase and resell materials via her family's shipping business.

Profits made through land or naval convoys were determined by where and which merchant or port they traded with, with naval convoys earning more than than those sent to Boston, New York, or the Frontier via land routes.

Lance O'Donnell could craft a total of three land convoys, with a maximum capacity of eight items to trade per convoy, and three naval convoys with a maximum capacity of fifteen tradeable items. Liberating forts and undertaking privateer contracts in the Aquila made the trade routes safer, lowering the risk percentage as well as lowering taxes.

For example, the risk of a naval convoy being attacked dropped from 80% to 5% after the Aquila had cleared the route. In the event of the convoy being attacked while on the road, Ratonhnhaké:ton would be notified that it was in danger, and had to defend it himself or send his recruits to do so, otherwise the profits would be lost. There was nothing that could be done if a naval convoy was lost at sea however.

Interior of a general store

Unlike Renaissance Italy, general stores provided all the items Ratonhnhaké:ton needed. He could make money by selling them his hunting spoils, the value and quantity of which depended on how the animal was killed.

Game slain by a single strike of an arrow, poison darts or the Hidden Blade was worth more than spoils slashed or shot by a weapon multiple times, such as firearms, trip mines, and rope darts, which ruined pelts and skins. The Aquila could also be upgraded with purchases made from harbormasters, making the vessel a more formidable force for Ratonhnhaké:ton during privateer contracts.

Behind the scenes

While conventional trade was unavailable in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, upgrades for Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad could be purchased by finding Templar coins.