Revision 2

Piastres are the everyday currency of Windrose, modeled on the historical Spanish silver piece (peso de ocho or "piece of eight"). They are the primary medium of exchange for Tortuga's faction Provisioners, NPC workers (farming contractors, merchants), and most goods on the trader stalls. Guineas (English gold) are a separate higher-end currency for premium gear and ship upgrades.

Currency Comparison

Earning Piastres

The most reliable Piastre sources, ranked roughly by income per hour:

• Selling trade crates: Naval Supplies, Medical Crates, and Contraband sell to Tortuga's Provisioners. Contraband sells for the most per unit but draws faction rep penalties at certain factions if you sell to the wrong one.

• Looting Blackbeard ships: Boarding a Blackbeard's Pirates' Ketch yields 50 to 100+ Piastres per kill plus Insignias (faction rep) and Naval Supplies (resellable).

• Faction quests: Each of the four player-facing factions offers Piastre-paying quests at Tortuga. Reputation rewards stack on top.

• Pirate Camp clearing: Pirate Camps respawn daily and contain supply boxes with Piastres, gunpowder, and trade goods.

• Buried Treasure: Mostly pays in Guineas and Silver Ingots, but also drops some Piastres.

Spending Piastres

Common Piastre sinks at Tortuga and at your bases:

Smugglers of Port Royal Currency Exchange

The Smugglers of Port Royal faction operates a currency exchange between Piastres and Guineas at their hidden base. The exchange rate favors the smugglers (you lose value when converting), so it is best used only when you specifically need one currency and have a surplus of the other. Building Smuggler reputation does not improve the exchange rate.

Currency Tips

• Stash trade crates (Naval Supplies, Medical Crates, Contraband) at your base before Tortuga is accessible; sell them in bulk once Tortuga is unlocked

• Save Insignias and Letters of Favor for the faction Bounty Agent rather than discarding them; they directly raise faction rank

• Convert Piastres to Guineas only when you specifically need to buy a Guinea-priced item and lack Guineas; the exchange rate makes daily conversion wasteful

• Silver Ingots are useful both as crafting material and as Piastre fuel; build a stockpile from treasure chests rather than buying them

See Also

• Trading and Merchants - Tortuga's trader system and trade goods

• Factions - the four player-facing factions and their reputation system

• Tortuga - the hub town where most spending happens

• Contraband - the highest-value trade good

• Naval Supplies - standard trade cargo

• Medical Crates - mid-tier trade cargo