Trade bar

Trade bars were a form of hard currency made of various precious metals that were accepted as currency throughout virtually all of Faerûn. They were typically marked with the seal or symbol of the mercantile group or nation that minted them. Merchants, trade costers and anyone else who was trading in large quantities typically preferred to use trade bars for their wide acceptance and ease-of-use.

Description
Ranging in sizes from 1, 2, 5 and 10 lbs, trade bars were usually minted in silver, or more rarely, gold. Silver trade bars were worth 5 gp per lb, with the gold variety being worth 50 gp per lb. Mirabar was known to issue spindle-shaped black iron bars weighing 2 lbs, that were worth 10 gp within the city and only 5 gp elsewhere.

While most trade bars were around six inches long, Calishite trade bars were an inch longer with tapered sides.

History
After the Second Sundering, the standard for the minting of trade bars was set by the city of Baldur's Gate. The most common trade bars available at that time were silver ingots measuring 6 in &times; 2 in &times; 1 in (15 cm &times; 5 cm &times; 2.5 cm) and weighing 5 lb (2.27 kg), valued at 25 gp.