Latinum

Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever.

- 102nd Rule of Acquisition

Latinum is a rare silver liquid used as currency by the Ferengi Alliance and many other worlds. It cannot be replicated. For ease of transaction, latinum is usually suspended within gold to produce "gold-pressed" latinum.

Denominations of gold-pressed latinum, in order of increasing value, include the slip, the strip, the bar and the brick.

Latinum items

• Renewal scroll inscription pens : Quark was selling renewal scroll inscription pens during the Bajoran Gratitude Festival. The pens were latinum-plated.
• Hair brooch : Lwaxana Troi's latinum hair brooch was stolen while she was on Deep Space 9 in 2369.
• Tooth sharpener : Quark had to use wooden chew-sticks while Rom used a latinum tooth sharpener when they were children.
• The Divine Treasury : Quark states that the Divine Treasury is made of pure latinum.
• Bucket : Quark suggests that Odo could have a latinum-plated bucket to sleep in.
• Waste extraction fixtures : According to Nog, the waste extraction fixtures in the Nagal Residence are plated with latinum. Quark suggests that, if made Grand Nagus, he would (rather indulgently) replace them with solid latinum fixtures.
• Bajoran earring : Maihar'du gives Kira Nerys (External Link) a latinum Bajoran earring.

Values

• Slips: One hundred slips of gold-pressed latinum are equal to one strip.

• Bars: One bar of gold-pressed latinum is equal to twenty strips or 2,000 slips of latinum.
  • Example: Nog's life savings in 2373 equaled five bars of gold-pressed latinum.
  • Example: Rom offers to buy Quark's bar for five thousand bars of gold-pressed latinum, although he expected Quark to haggle up to at least eight thousand.

• Bricks: The exchange rate from bricks to bars is unknown.
  • Example: Brunt bribes Quark with sixty bricks of gold-pressed latinum to make him financial adviser to the Nagus.
  • Example: During the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist that took place in 2365, 1,000 bricks of gold-pressed latinum were stolen.