gold pressed latinum star trek

Pure liquid latinum. Quark estimated this to be about 100 bricks' worth.

Latinum was a rare silver-colored liquid metal that was used as currency by the Ferengi Alliance , the Cardassians , and many other worlds. For ease of transaction, latinum was usually suspended within bits of gold as a binding medium to produce gold-pressed latinum . ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ") Smuggling latinum was considered a crime by the Enolians . ( ENT : " Canamar ")

Latinum was deeply ingrained in Ferengi culture , and was referenced in several of their Rules of Acquisition , with some dating back to a time prior to the mid- 22nd century . ( ENT : " Acquisition ")

• 57th Rule of Acquisition: " Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them. " ( DS9 : " Armageddon Game ")
• 75th Rule of Acquisition: " Home is where the heart is but the stars are made of latinum. " ( DS9 : " Civil Defense ")
• 102nd Rule of Acquisition: " Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever. " ( DS9 : " The Jem'Hadar ")
• 229th Rule of Acquisition: " Latinum lasts longer than lust. " ( DS9 : " Ferengi Love Songs ")
• 263rd Rule of Acquisition: " Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum. " ( DS9 : " Bar Association ")

During the mid- 23rd century , bounty hunters , even from Federation species like the Tellarites , might expect Starfleet ships to pay bounties in latinum, including by depositing it in their accounts. ( ST : " The Escape Artist ")

In 2370 , Odo recorded in his security log that of the seriously injured Quark , " The Ferengi holds onto life like it's gold-pressed latinum. " ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ")

Later that year, Quark warned Martus Mazur , who had just "stole" Rom as an employee, that he should be careful because Rom " shaves the latinum. " Rom denied the accusation, before admitting, "Not much." Later, using profits from his club , Martus Mazur provided con artist Alsia with just about 10,000 isiks worth of latinum. ( DS9 : " Rivals ")

Latinum apparently did not hold a similar monetary value in the mirror universe , as the Quark of that universe had never heard of it. ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

In Grand Nagus Zek 's Prophet -influenced publication, " The Rules of Acquisition: Revised for the Modern Ferengi ", created in 2371 , it was stated in Rule #24 that " Latinum tarnishes , but family is forever. " ( DS9 : " Prophet Motive ")

According to Quark, in 2374 , syrup of squill " is worth its weight in latinum. " ( DS9 : " The Magnificent Ferengi ")

Later that year, upon discovering that Morn held an extracted quantity of liquid latinum in his second stomach , Quark concluded that that was why his hair fell out. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

According to Jean-Luc Picard , in 2375 , the regenerative properties of metaphasic radiation found on Ba'ku would be, to most offlanders , " more valuable than ...gold-pressed latinum. " ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Latinum in the 32nd century

Gold-pressed latinum remained a commonly used currency into the 32nd century . ( DIS : " All In ")

The biomatter of the Abronians contained high concentrations of latinum, which led to their being targeted by grave robbers in the 3180s . ( DIS : " Choose to Live ")

• 1.1 Comparative values
• 2.1 See also
• 3.1 Background information
• 3.2 Apocrypha
• 3.3 External link

Two slips (right), a strip (left), and a bar (center) of latinum

Denominations of gold-pressed latinum, in order of increasing value, included the slip , the strip , the bar , and the brick . ( DS9 : " Bar Association ", " Body Parts ") A brace was also a predetermined unit of latinum. ( ENT : " Canamar ")

The approximate conversion was:

• 100 slips = 1 strip ( DS9 : " Body Parts ")
• 20 strips = 1 bar ( DS9 : " Body Parts ")
• 1 big "bar" = 100,000 Federation credits ( ST : " The Escape Artist ")

B'Etor inspects a satchel containing 13 kilos of latinum

In addition, other units of quantity were used to value latinum.

• Kilograms : Tahna Los gave Lursa and B'Etor thirteen kilograms of latinum in exchange for a canister of bilitrium . ( DS9 : " Past Prologue ")
• A case : All the latinum in Quark's possession at the time of an evacuation of Deep Space 9 could fit in one case. ( DS9 : " The Siege ")

Comparative values [ ]

The following provides comparison on the value of latinum for specific items. Further details of each item may be seen above.

• Cadet's uniform – five strips
• Dress from Garak's Clothiers – seventeen to twenty strips
• A Visit with the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx – ten strips
• Custom holosuite program – one bar
• Quark's personnel during the Cardassian Occupation – one slip per day
• Quark's dabo girls on DS9 – fourteen strips per pay cycle
• Morica Bilby – five to thirty bars a week
• Quark – five bars a day
• Janel Tigan – more than a thousand bars a day
• Nog – five bars
• Rom – seventeen bars, three strips, and five slips, as of 2373 ; also the amount he bid for Quark's remains. ( DS9 : " Body Parts ")
• Quark – one hundred bricks and six hundred bars

Latinum items [ ]

• Bucket : Quark suggested that Odo could have had a latinum- plated bucket in which to regenerate . ( DS9 : " Q-Less ")
• Divine Treasury : Quark stated that the Divine Treasury was made of pure latinum. ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")
• Earring : Maihar'du gave Kira Nerys a latinum Bajoran earring as a gift from Grand Nagus Zek . ( DS9 : " Rules of Acquisition ")
• Hair brooch : Lwaxana Troi 's latinum hair brooch was stolen while she was on Deep Space 9 in 2369 . ( DS9 : " The Forsaken ")
• Inscription pens : Quark was selling renewal scroll inscription pens during the Bajoran Gratitude Festival . The pens were latinum-plated. ( DS9 : " Fascination ")
• Tooth sharpener : Quark had to use wooden chewsticks while Rom used a latinum tooth sharpener when they were children . ( DS9 : " Family Business ")
• Waste extraction fixtures : According to Nog, the waste extraction fixtures in the Nagal Residence were plated with latinum. Quark suggested that, if made Grand Nagus , he would (rather indulgently) have replaced them with solid latinum fixtures. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")
• False tooth : A Karemma guard possessed a golden prosthetic tooth containing latinum, which was extracted by Ensign D'Vana Tendi using Mesk 's Orion multi-key , and used to magnetically decouple the Propulsion Systems station of a Karemma ship . ( LD : " Hear All, Trust Nothing ")

See also [ ]

• Latinum dance
• Latinum stairway

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Gold-pressed latinum was first introduced in "Past Prologue" by Peter Allan Fields . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? )

In "Past Prologue", the value of latinum was defined by its weight, then "bars" were the unit of choice throughout DS9 Season 1 . "Strips" were first referenced in "The Homecoming", and slowly came into popular use during the latter half of DS9 Season 2 . "Slips" were first referenced in DS9 Season 3 in "Family Business", and the same year, "bricks" were first referenced in the VOY Season 1 episode "Learning Curve".

Also in "Past Prologue", both B'Etor and Odo once referred to it simply as "gold", while in "Q-Less", Vash referred to it once as "gold latinum", while Quark (in his excitement) referred to it as "gold-press latinum".

Some viewers have suggested that latinum could not be replicated, given that if it could be replicated it would be worthless. ( The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine )

Apocrypha [ ]

Star Trek: Armada II depicts the natural form of latinum occurring in sparse nebulae in a form that can be harvested. The Federation used it for trade, while the Klingon Empire , Romulan Star Empire , and Cardassian Union also use latinum for research. The Borg do not use it, and Species 8472 converts it into biomatter .

Star Trek Online uses Gold-pressed latinum as an alternative currency. Players earn latinum by playing dabo and they can be traded for simplistic yet expensive non-combat devices.

External link [ ]

• Latinum at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Mar 15, 2020

Star Trek 101: Latinum

Let's get into the Ferengi's favorite currency.

StarTrek.com

Star Trek 101 serves two functions: succinctly introduce Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise and refresh the memories of longtime Trek fans. We're pulling our entries from the book Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why , written by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block and published in 2008 by Pocket Books. An invaluable resource, it encompasses The Original Series, , The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as the first 10 Trek feature films.

Today, we share Star Trek 101 's file on Latinum.

As Star Trek would have it, life is so rosy in the future that folks don’t have any need for money. (Don’t ask us how they get stuff — it’s one of Star Trek ’s fuzzier areas.) The Ferengi, on the other hand, love money — or rather, latinum, a highly precious liquid metal. It’s generally referred to as gold-pressed latinum, because it comes inside gold ingots, in denominations of slips, strips, bars, and bricks.

Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are coauthors of numerous books about the entertainment industry, including Star Trek 101; Star Trek Costumes: Fifty Years of Fashion from the Final Frontier; Star Trek: The Original Series 365; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . They currently are writing the latest in their series of Ferengi novellas, which (so far) includes Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found) ; and Rules of Accusation . As noted, their most recent non- Trek book is Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History .

Get Updates By Email

• Star Trek 101

The Star Trek Economy From Latinum to Federation Credits, Explained

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

• Star Trek famously introduced a 'post-scarcity' future where citizens of the Federation no longer use money nor need to work in order to live.
• However, from the use of Federation credits to the Ferengi's favorite currency, latinum, the need for money in storytelling has confused this concept.
• The Star Trek storytellers have avoided addressing this specifically in canon, but through context, the economy of the Federation can be figured out.

There are a lot of scientific concepts in Star Trek that are both fantastical and difficult to understand. Warp drive, for one, doesn't technically break the laws of physics but is far more fantasy than reality. Transporters also have a logic to them, even though it's a fair debate if every time Kirk and the gang beam down somewhere they aren't, technically, dying and being reborn. Yet the one scientific concept Star Trek storytellers often avoid is how the economy of the Federation works.

The characters often say they no longer "use money," yet they still use modern economic terms and, whether it's Federation credits or gold-pressed latinum, there is still currency. So how does it all work? It's never fully explained in the Star Trek canon, for good reason. The development of the United Federation of Planets, or at least the United Earth, as a currency-free zone stems from Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future. When developing Star Trek: The Next Generation , he became much more committed to the idea that his utopia was a post-capitalist one. (Though the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself was so concerned about his money, he brought his lawyer onto the studio lot with him.) Still, he created the Ferengi, originally hated by fans , as a harsh critique of the "Greed is Good" mentality of 1980s America. Still, with inferences in the shows and films, a picture of what the Star Trek economy looks like starts to form.

The Best Explanation of the Star Trek Economy Comes From 'The Orville'

Star trek: picard’s academy confirms the new direction of the franchise.

Star Trek's return to Picard's academy days proves that the franchise's recent change in tone is here to stay.

Seth MacFarlane is a self-professed Star Trek fan, appearing in a guest role on two episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise as a hapless engineer. Later on, he created The Orville , an homage to Star Trek that, while carving out its own identity, is steeped in the kind of positive, humanist vision of the future Roddenberry wanted to develop. Like the folks in Star Trek , the Orville crew is from a place where money is, literally, not an object. In more than one episode of The Orville , characters explain how "wealth" still exists in their society. Instead of trying to get money "to buy houses and sandwiches and stuff," people become wealthy via their reputation. People on Earth don't have to work, but if they choose not to contribute to the pursuit of knowledge, development of invention, or even an artistic life, their reputation suffers. This also applies to Star Trek , both for those who serve in Starfleet and the civilian services, but it also has its drawbacks.

• The Orville was created as a respectful parody of Star Trek
• The Orville is currently available to stream on Hulu and Disney+
• The Orville has not yet been renewed for a fourth season

In the Season 3 premiere of Star Trek: TNG , a civilian scientist named Paul Stubbs boards the USS Enterprise for the culmination of his life's work studying the relationship between a neutron star and a red giant which underwent an event every 196 years. He talks about becoming a revered scientist early in life. However, rather than resting on that wealth of reputation, he felt immense pressure to top himself. Over the course of "Evolution," he wants the Enterprise to finish his experiment despite a threat to the ship that could kill more than 1,000 people aboard.

What Federation Credits Are in Star Trek and How They Are Used

Has star trek's sexiest show become a touchstone for asexual representation.

Lower Decks has a well-earned reputation as Star Trek's most ribald series, yet it has made huge strides for asexual representation in the process.

In most cases, life in the Federation is fairly easygoing. Earth is often described as a paradise, where private property still exists. Benjamin Sisko's father has a restaurant in New Orleans that he owns, but he apparently doesn't charge his customers. Both Captains Kirk and Pike own houses, too. Kirk had one represented in the Nexus in Generations , which he told Picard he "sold years ago." Christopher Pike has a horse ranch in Strange New Worlds ' series premiere, where Admiral April comes to recruit him back to command. Of course, Picard has his family's vineyard, which consists of a large house and a sizeable wine-production operation, too.

However, life in Federation colonies from The Original Series era into the 24th Century where life is considerably harder. They are often seen asking Starfleet for supplies and other material help in episodes across the series. Since they are on the periphery of Federation space, they may use Federation credits to do business with non-Federation peoples. In the classic "Trouble With Tribbles" episode, Cyrano Jones sells one of the furry creatures to Uhura for Federation credits. Antagonist Harcourt Fenton Mudd had a bounty in Short Treks listed in Federation credits and was caught in The Animated Series selling "love crystals" for 300 credits each.

The credits are likely just that, a measure of value that non-Federation members can use to pay Federation merchants or colonists for goods and services. Amass enough Federation credits, and one could purchase a replicator or even a starship . In TNG 's Season 3 episode "The Price," Picard is there to offer a lump sum of 1.5 million credits for control of a stable wormhole in the Barzanian Republic, along with a yearly stipend of 100,000 credits. While they may be used internally, it seems these are mostly for doing business outside of the Federation.

Gold-Pressed Latinum Is the Alpha Quadrant Currency of Choice

Star trek: tng's iconic 'there are four lights' episode almost didn't happen.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Chain of Command" is one of the series' best, but the sequence with the "four lights" was a late addition.

While the Federation offered a bounty for Harry Mudd, even their own people didn't want credits. In the Short Treks episode "The Escape Artist," Tellarite bounty hunters wanted their payment in latinum. The substance was valuable in the Alpha Quadrant, particularly to Ferengi merchants. In its natural state, it was a silver liquid like mercury but was often pressed in gold (considered a mostly worthless substance on its own). This currency was created for Deep Space Nine and slowly defined over the series' run.

There were other currencies, such as the "isik," but latinum was, quite literally, universal. Latinum had several denominations: slips, strips, bars, and bricks. Values weren't consistent, as 100 slips equal a single strip, and 20 strips equaled a bar. Though, bars seemed to come in varying sizes, whereas bricks were of a consistent size and shape. When not suspended in gold, latinum was usually measured in grams and kilograms. In the DS9 episode, "Who Mourns for Morn," a mouthful of the liquid was supposedly equal to "100 bricks" of the gold-pressed stuff.

On DS9 there was no mention of Federation credits, and Starfleet conducted their business with the Ferengi, the Cardassians, and, presumably, the planet Bajor in latinum. It's unclear if latinum cannot be replicated, like the rare dilithium crystals that power warp drives. Yet, even if it could, the Federation likely wouldn't allow latinum replication. If they did, the introduction of the rare material would upend the economies of the non-Federation planets. It's unclear if the Federation mined latinum themselves or if they merely accepted it as payment so they could use it to pay non-Federation staff on the Deep Space Nine station, like the Bajoran security guards or the Starfleet guests at Quark's bar.

Star Trek's Replicators and a Post-Scarcity Future

Star trek: strange new worlds can clear up confusion about one alien species.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the one series that can best solve the riddle of who, or what, the Rigellians are, and where they come from.

In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Kirk makes it clear twice that the Federation is already no longer using money by the late 23rd Century. Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds have introduced the idea of a "matter synthesizer," which is just an early form of the 24th Century's replicators. They are why the Federation and Starfleet can no longer care about money. These magical devices can create food, clothing, and just about anything else someone can think of seemingly out of thin air.

Star Trek: Voyager made it clear conservation of mass still applies, as the crew of that ship had "replicator rations." People's most basic needs are met via this device, though it's often stated that non-replicated food just tastes better. The economics of Star Trek are deliberately vague, more about the idea of a post-scarcity world than the reality of it. While it makes for some confusion when drilling down into the economic theory of it all, it works for the show. The people in Starfleet or civilian service don't have to work to survive, but they seem even more dedicated to careers than the most office-obsessed corporatists in the 21st Century.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Star Trek: What Is Latinum?

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Stranger Things Season 5: Will Sadie Sink's Character Max Live?

The boys: who is firecracker, game of thrones: why ned stark’s theory about cersei’s children isn’t a plot hole.

Over what has been almost 60 years of Star Trek the franchise has added a plethora of world-filling details, from surprisingly intricate spaceship design rules to socio-political infrastructures for the various different races shown on and off-screen. Each new race brings with them an entire culture of artifacts, history, and politics. Among the concepts introduced with the different alien civilizations, one of the most interesting is the prize for any eagle-eyed Ferengi: Latinum. But what exactly is this alluring substance?

While Latinum is primarily associated with the Ferengi, they are not the only culture in the franchise to use it. It is frequently used as currency by the Cardassians. From time to time when situation dictates it, even the Federation, normally so opposed to the concept of money , will use Latinum in trade. In fact, it was the most common form of currency used within the Alpha Quadrant, far exceeding any earth metal or electronic currently used today. The currency was first introduced within the unexpectedly dark and gritty Deep Space 9 series, during the season one episode “Past Prologue,” and has been a staple of the franchise ever since.

RELATED: Star Trek: How Ferengi Doors Perfectly Sum Up Their Culture

Latinum may look to be a sci-fi simulation of bars of gold. However, the substance is actually most commonly found in a liquid state. While it can be frozen or mixed with other substances to solidify it, the most common way to store it is to suspend the liquid in gold or gold dust. These are the bars that frequently appear in Star Trek media, and this form is dubbed gold-pressed Latinum.

This was a smart move from the perspective of the writers. Choosing to portray the currency's appearance like bars of gold made modern-day audiences associate it with high value. The fact that gold was used to encase the much more precious material only added to the notion that this was an incredibly sought-after and costly material, literally more precious than gold. Latinum itself was found naturally in the galaxy. It was normally found in the form of mineable crystals found near pockets of various other, previously sought-after metals such as cobalt.

Latinum worked so well as currency throughout the majority of the Alpha Quadrant not only because it was an incredibly rare substance, but it was impossible to replicate (yet another example of the limitations of replicator technology ). This relates to why things like gold and diamonds, both highly valuable in today's society, are no longer worth anything in the world of Star Trek. Because they can be replicated easily, they have been stripped of any value as a currency. Dilithium is another substance impossible (so far) to replicate, as its molecular structure is so complex no known replicator is able to recreate it artificially.

The in-universe reason for using gold to encase liquid Latinum is that gold is a non-reactive metal. As such, there were no worries that the gold would affect, dilute, or taint the Latinum within. To be used as an efficient currency, gold-pressed Latinum is often broken down into different sizes. The most commonly used forms are slips, strips, bars, and bricks, but it’s likely that some eccentric and incredibly wealthy Ferengi may also have entire swimming pools of the stuff.

It is suggested that one bar of gold-pressed Latinum (measuring approximately 0.5 x 2.5 x 5 inches) is worth twenty strips, and one strip (0.5 x 2.5 x 3.5 inches) is equal to 100 slips (2.5 x 0.75 x 1 inches). The worth of a brick is never specifically stated, but Quark notes that it is worth considerably more than a bar.

As with any fictitious substance, it's hard to get a real reading on how much Latinum is actually worth by today's standards of currency. It’s shown time and again to be highly desirable. The bars themselves hold such a small amount that even a small cup full of the pure stuff was worth a fortune. The writers did try and sprinkle in some comparable examples. The mysterious, and often nefarious Garek of Deep Space 9 sells his exquisitely tailored dresses for around 20 strips. A custom holosuite program from Quark costs one bar, and Quark himself pays his dabo girls fourteen strips per pay cycle (the Star date equivalent to per month).

While Latimum was often a secondary thought for most human/Starfleet characters, audiences do find out approximately how much the Ferengi main characters have stored away in their accounts. The numbers speak words for their varying successes in the world of acquisition. The lovable Nog has five bars, while his father Rom has 17 bars. Quark, unsurprisingly, has one hundred bricks and six hundred bars — a staggering amount even for a Ferengi money hoarder.

MORE: Star Trek’s Planet Classes, Explained

• Movies & TV

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from novels
• Memory Beta articles sourced from eBooks
• Memory Beta articles sourced from reference works
• Memory Beta articles sourced from short stories
• Materials and substances

Gold pressed latinum in 2376 .

Latinum was a rare substance which was prized by many civilizations in the Alpha Quadrant , including the Ferengi Alliance . For use as currency , liquid latinum was usually suspended within gold or gold dust which produced gold-pressed latinum . ( DS9 episode : " Who Mourns for Morn? "; CCG set: Rules of Acquisition , card: "Gold-Pressed Latinum")

Latinum is usable as a currency specie because it is one of the few materials incapable of being replicated . Gold, which can be replicated, is unusable as a currency specie, and is useful only as a container for liquid latinum, due to gold's non-reactive nature. ( TNG novel : Balance of Power )

• 1 Denominations and design
• 2 Sources and provenance
• 3 Latinum mining locations
• 5.1 Connections
• 5.2 References
• 5.3 External link

Denominations and design [ ]

Denominations of gold-pressed latinum, in order of increasing value, include the slip, the strip, the bar and the brick. One bar of gold-pressed latinum is equal to twenty strips or 2,000 slips of latinum. ( CCG set: Rules of Acquisition , card: "Gold-Pressed Latinum") The exchange rate for bricks is unknown, but Quark implies that bricks are worth considerably more than bars.

Latinum denominations also included dekabars, hectobars and kilobars. ( TNG novel : Balance of Power )

A latinum slip measures 2½ x ¼ x 1 inches, a strip measures 3½ x ½ x 2½ inches, a bar measures 5 × ½ × 2½ inches and a brick measures 8 x 1 x 4 inches. ( Star Trek Auction Listings )

The gold casing carried a maker's mark; the lack of such a mark normally indicated that the bar was stolen, or was counterfeit. ( SCE eBook : Malefictorum )

Single bar of gold pressed latinum in 2370

Sources and provenance [ ]

Latinum was found naturally in the form of crystals which can be mined . Such crystals typically formed near pockets of nickel , iron , pergium , or cobalt . ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky )

A Federation survey of the Davon system sometime before 2348 found traces of latinum on the moon Davonia . In 2355 , the planets and moons of the Maxia Zeta star system were discovered to be richly endowed with many minerals and materials, including latinum. And in 2370 a group of Horta discovered deposits of latinum on Baraddo , Bajor 's outermost moon . Daribund also had latinum deposits. ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky ; TNG - The Lost Era novel : The Buried Age )

A large amount of latinum supposedly exists underground on Ferenginar .( DS9 reference : Legends of the Ferengi )

Quark in the mirror universe had never heard of latinum, but it was used in the Alliance and previously in the Terran Empire . ( DS9 episode : " Crossover ", , ST novels : Dark Passions, Book One , Dark Passions, Book Two , ST short story : " Mirror Universe ", " The Greater Good ", " The Worst of Both Worlds ", " Bitter Fruit ")

Latinum mining locations [ ]

• S'mtharz ( Federation )
• Cillers ( Romulan , coordinates -4181, -40)
• Maclyyn ( Klingon )
• Hann ( Federation , coordinates -4836, -19)
• Nasturta ( Romulan , coordinates -4540, -16)
• Ciara ( Klingon )
• Lainey ( Federation )
• Biruin ( Romulan , coordinates -4048, -2)
• Hoeven ( Klingon )
• Losti ( Federation )
• Koltiska ( Romulan , coordinates -4572, -146)
• Phelan ( Klingon )
• Noakyn ( Federation , coordinates -4763, 10)
• Gradientes ( Romulan , coordinates -4383, 12)
• H'Atoria ( Klingon )
• Sinisser ( Federation )
• Robeton ( Romulan , coordinates -4131, 30)
• Vendor ( Romulan , coordinates -4209, 112)
• Beta Penthe ( Klingon
• Barnard's Star
• Dessica ( Romulan , coordinates -4679, 407)

The Son'a used latinum to adorn their clothing and their furniture. ( ST movie : Insurrection )

Other uses for latinum include valuable brooches and earrings. ( DS9 episodes : " The Forsaken ", " Rules of Acquisition ")

The Olympic Games awarded latinum medals. ( DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " Old Souls ")

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], references [ ].

• PIC novel : Firewall

External link [ ]

• Latinum article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Intrepid class

Gold-Pressed Latinum/Info

• VisualEditor

• PlayStation 3
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series
• More Systems
• Gold-Pressed Latinum to USD conversion... wtf
• Topic Archived
• Page 1 of 2

More Topics from this Board

• Would it be possible to use the transporters to... 9 posts, 6/20 5:19PM
• Just seen Star Trek III: The Search For Spock in the cinema 6 posts, 6/20 10:28AM
• Would you trust a simple tailor? 23 posts, 6/18 9:42PM
• I'm so damn pissed that next movie will be an Abramsverse prequel 9 posts, 6/15 1:29PM
• Discovery S5 (Ongoing SPOILERS) 47 posts, 6/10 5:25AM

Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek III Gives Fan-Favorite Character The Oddest Plot Hole

Posted: June 18, 2024 | Last updated: June 19, 2024

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock features one of the weirdest plot holes in the entire franchise. Doctor Leonard McCoy—known to his friends as Bones—attempts at one point to hire a pilot to fly him to a forbidden area of space. Given the “off-limits” nature of where McCoy wants to go, the pilot tells him it will be an expensive trip, to which McCoy responds, “Money, I’ve got.” The only problem is that other people in Star Trek repeatedly mention that they don’t use money in their time. So what gives?

A Future With No Money

In the very next movie of the original film series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Captain Kirk makes no less than two very specific statements implying that money is obsolete by the 23rd century. The first time is when he tells his crew, “They’re still using money. We gotta find some.” The second time is when Gillian Taylor says, “Don’t tell me they don’t use money in the 23rd century.” to which Kirk replies, “We don’t!”

One could assume that McCoy was lying to the alien pilot, except at that point in Star Trek III, he was semi-possessed by Spock’s ghost and most likely too discombobulated to lie. That and Spock isn’t big on the whole fibbing thing.

All Needs Are Met

Looking up what McCoy was talking about only raises more questions. Try Googling “Do they use money in Star Trek?” and you’ll get a bunch of contradictory theories that basically amount to “No, but Yes, but no.” In frank terms, it would appear that Gene Roddenberry wanted the future of Star Trek to be post-capitalist, but other writers had differing opinions. From there, it seems yet more writers have tried to come up with a plausible explanation that boils down to “The Federation doesn’t use money, but it has money, so it can do business with non-Federation members.”

Everyone Else Uses Money

Let’s see if we can break this down further. The general idea is that the citizens of the Federation no longer use money because everybody has everything they need, and there’s really no use for it. Different societies, like the Ferengi, however, still use hard currency like gold-pressed latinum. We’ll ignore that for now, though, because we’re mostly dealing with the Federation and McCoy’s secret treasure stash.

A Secret Millionaire

So the Federation (and, by extension, Starfleet) have no use for money. However, instances like McCoy’s comments in Star Trek III and Kirk mentioning selling his house in Star Trek Generations have created plotholes that writers and fans have tried to fill by saying that the Federation does have money—Federation credits—but that no one uses it because they don’t need to. Continuing with this line of thinking, it’s conceivable that McCoy could have a fortune in Starfleet back pay just sitting in a bank somewhere accumulating dust.

Is There A Secret Federation Bank Account?

Unfortunately, there’s no way that’s what McCoy was talking about. There’s a reason that drug dealers don’t take credit cards, and that reason is because cash can’t be traced. There’s no way that a pilot offering to take McCoy somewhere illegal is willing to do so for official Federation credits. A shady backroom deal like the one McCoy tries to set up in Star Trek III would almost certainly be done using Latinum or some other “no-questions-asked” currency.

Who knows if Federation credits even have a physical representation? Is an unknown alien pilot who admits to McCoy that he’s never been to Earth before really going to open up a Federation bank account so he can have McCoy transfer the credits? The answer is no, no, he’s not.

Easily Explained As A Writer’s Mistake

Could McCoy have a stash of gold-pressed latinum somewhere? Probably not, because he has no use for money while living and working in the Federation. Why would he go out of his way to transfer Federation credits into another currency he’ll never use?

It’s not like McCoy knew prior to Star Trek III that Spock might die and transfer his consciousness into Bones, resulting in the need for him to charter an illegal flight. The only plausible explanation is that the line about McCoy having a bunch of money saved up was written in error.

A simple plothole that in no way affects anyone’s enjoyment of Star Trek but is fun to point out in a nerdy article online. To quote the Simpsons, “Boy, we really hope someone got fired for that blunder.

More for You

8 foods you should never eat at a hotel breakfast

What to do if you wake up at night and can't get back to sleep, according to expert

Trump says he’s picked his vice-presidential running mate

A Striking New Discovery in Pompeii Uncovers More Magnificence of the Lost City

Ukraine's partisans claim infiltration of Russian air base, leave 'surprises' for pilots

25 Classic Comedies That Are Still Laugh Out Loud Funny Today

Average US household income ranked by state – see how you compare

What a Blood Clot Feels Like, According to Doctors

50 Healthy Casseroles That Are Incredibly Delicious

These Are the 9 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Trump mixes up Jan 6 riot ‘suspects’ with Russian spies in rambling speech at Christian faith conference

How to Get Rid of Ants in Your House and Yard

All About Roger Federer's Parents, Lynette and Robert Federer

Lost continent 'unlike anything found today' discovered off the coast of Australia

An Indestructible New Alloy Is Defying the Limits of Metal

12 Iconic Movie Roles That No Other Actor Could Have Portrayed

Dazzling mystery on Mars leaves scientists baffled

Real Estate Experts Say These Will Be the Best US Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years

End of an era: Windsor says goodbye to Playdium Lanes and five-pin bowling

Scientists discover that people who live past 90 have key differences in their blood