Revision 11

Guineas are the English gold currency of Windrose, used for high-end items, ship upgrades, and late-game faction Provisioner purchases. They are a separate higher-end currency from Piastres (Spanish silver), and are earned primarily from buried treasure rewards and major world quest rewards rather than everyday transactions. The Smugglers of Port Royal operate the only Piastre-to-Guinea exchange in the game, but the rate favors the Smugglers.

Overview

Currency Comparison

Currency Exchange Rate

The Smugglers of Port Royal run the only currency exchange in the game, handled through their Provisioner. The exchange operates at a fixed rate of 1 Guinea to 20 Piastres. You can convert in either direction at that rate, so a single gold coin buys 20 silver and 20 silver buys back one gold.

Access to the exchange opens once you have reached Tortuga and completed the Underground Network quest. After that, talk to the Provisioner and scroll to the bottom of the shop list to find the Guinea-to-Piastre option. Because the rate is flat in both directions, there is no hidden spread on individual swaps, but converting gold to silver still spends a scarce, treasure-gated currency on goods you could usually buy with silver you already earn, so reserve it for genuine shortfalls.

Earning Guineas

The most reliable Guinea sources, ranked by income per hour:

• Buried treasure: Following Alexandre Exquemelin's seven journal notes and Blackbeard's Treasure Maps yields large Guinea payouts plus Silver and Gold Ingots

• Major world quests: Late-game faction quests at Rank 2-3 reputation pay Guineas instead of Piastres for the largest rewards

• Boss kill rewards: Defeating named bosses (Thomas Richards, Israel Hands, High Priestess) drops Guineas as part of their loot table

• Smuggler exchange: Convert Piastres to Guineas at the Smuggler base when needed; the rate favors the Smugglers so this is best for emergencies only

• Chest payout sizes: Individual buried treasure chests pay out in small gold lots, commonly in the range of 5 to 10 Guineas each alongside Silver Ingot and other ingots, so a full map route that strings several chests together is what produces a large session total.

Spending Guineas

Strategy

• Save Guineas for tier-gated late-game Provisioner inventory at Rank 2-3 reputation

• Do not convert Piastres to Guineas through the Smugglers daily; the cumulative loss is significant

• Buried treasure is the most consistent Guinea source; prioritize Exquemelin's journal trail and Blackbeard's Treasure Maps

• Some boss loot tables include Guineas; clearing repeatable boss encounters is a passive Guinea grind

Historical Reference

The historical guinea was an English gold coin minted from 1663 to 1814, named after the Guinea region of West Africa where much of the gold was sourced. Guineas were prestige currency: while Spanish silver pieces of eight (piastres) were the everyday Caribbean currency, English guineas were preferred for large transactions, dowries, and high-status purchases. Windrose preserves this historical distinction: Piastres are the workaday silver, Guineas are the premium gold.

Where to Buy

Guinea can be purchased from the following vendor.

See Also

• Piastres - the everyday silver currency

• Smugglers of Port Royal - the only currency exchange operator

• Buried Treasure - the most reliable Guinea source

• Trading and Merchants - Tortuga's trader system

• Bounty Agents - faction reputation NPCs (rep unlocks Guinea-priced items)

Details

Properties

Where Found