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 is usually suspended within gold or gold dust which produces gold-pressed latinum. (DS9 episode: "Who Mourns for Morn?", ST DS9 CCG: "Gold-Pressed Latinum") The gold casing would carry a maker's mark; the lack of such a mark would normally indicate that the bar was stolen, or was counterfeit. (SCE eBook: Malefictorum)

Latinum was found naturally in the form of crystals which can be mined. Such crystals typically form 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 The Prodigal, Bajor's outermost moon. (DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky; TNG - The Lost Era novel: The Buried Age)

One bar of latinum was equivalent to 20 strips; these two amounts were equal to to 2000 slips. (CCG set: Rules of Acquisition, card: "Gold-Pressed Latinum")

ConnectionsEdit

Types of currency
materials	acta crystal • gold • latinum • ludugial gold • silver
units	credit • darsek • dejebbit •dirak • dollar • drokna • ducat • ilec • kern • klon peag • lek • lita • notch-rock • quatloo • sakto • t'chak •tri-esta

External linkEdit

• Latinum article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.