Master of coin

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Master of coin
Office Chief financial advisor
Treasurer
Region Seven Kingdoms
Current Holder Ser Harys Swyft
First Holder Lord Crispian Celtigar
Creator Aegon I Targaryen
Created Aegon's Conquest

The master of coin is the chief financial adviser of the king and is a member of the small council in King's Landing.

Duties

King Robert's Debt © Fantasy Flight Games

Duties of the master of coin include keeping account of the receipts and expenditures from the royal treasury, receiving reports from royal officials, supervising the collection of taxes and custom duties, borrowing money, managing the royal treasury and supervising the three royal mints. The master of coin oversees a large number of offices and positions in the royal bureaucracy including the four Keepers of the Keys, the King's Counter, the King's Scales, the officers in charge of mints, harbormasters, tax farmers, customs sergeants, wool factors, toll collectors, pursers and wine factors.[1]

History

During the War of Conquest Crispian Celtigar served Aegon I Targaryen as the first master of coin. Nearly two centuries later, even though Elaena Targaryen's husband, Lord Ronnel Penrose, sat on the king's small council as master of coin, it was widely known that she was the one performing the duties.[2]

List of Known Masters of Coin

Recent Events

Littlefinger acts as the Master of Coin. © Fantasy Flight Games

A Game of Thrones

Lord Petyr Baelish continues to serve as master of coin, as he has done for several years. He must pay for the extravagance of Robert I Baratheon's court, often by borrowing from Lord Tywin Lannister.

A Clash of Kings

Baelish is sent to recruit House Tyrell to support King Joffrey I Baratheon.

A Storm of Swords

When Baelish goes to the Eyrie to court Lysa Arryn, Tyrion Lannister is named as his replacement, charged with funding the royal wedding. Tyrion is blamed for the so-called dwarf's pennies.[11] After Tyrion is imprisoned for the death of Joffrey, Tywin calls for Garth Tyrell to fill the post.

A Feast for Crows

After the death of Tywin Lannister, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister renames the office lord treasurer, a style used in the Free Cities,[12] as well as in Sunspear.[13] When she hears Garth Tyrell will soon fill the seat, she appoints Lord Gyles Rosby to take the seat. When Lord Rosby dies, Ser Harys Swyft replaces him in the office.

A Dance with Dragons

Ser Harys's main concern is the massive debt owed by the crown to the Iron Bank of Braavos.

The Winds of Winter

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Warning
This information has thus far been released in a sample chapter for The Winds of Winter, and might therefore not be in finalized form. Keep in mind that the content as described below is still subject to change.

Harys Swyft has traveled to Braavos to treat with the Iron Bank in person.[14]

Quotes

The master of coin finds the money. The king and the Hand spend it.[15]

The master of coin must be frugal.[16]

Within three years of his coming to court, he was master of coin and a member of the small council, and today the crown's revenues were ten times what they had been under his beleaguered predecessor… though the crown's debts had grown vast as well.[1]

We owe Lord Tywin some three million dragons at present, what matter another hundred thousand?[15]

Petyr Baelish to Eddard Stark during a small council meeting about the Hand's tourney

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 17, Tyrion IV.
  2. So Spake Martin: Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Fire & Blood, A Surfeit of Rulers.
  4. Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Princess and the Queen.
  6. Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  7. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
  8. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
  9. The Mystery Knight.
  10. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I.
  11. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
  12. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 17, Cersei IV.
  13. A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
  14. The Winds of Winter, Chapter , Mercy.
  15. 15.0 15.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  16. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 58, Eddard XV.