Moiraine Sedai Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Simple question, but obviously we don't have the figures. But we can compare them, relative to the other families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Commentator Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Lannister Tyrell Targaryen Hightower Frey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shierak Qiya Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 30 minutes ago, Moiraine Sedai said: Simple question, but obviously we don't have the figures. But we can compare them, relative to the other families. Aerys had control of the royal treasury. That puts them near the top. Lannister Targaryen Tyrell Hightower Redwyne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rondo Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 300 years is a long span of time. Before or after they came to Dragonstone? They were one of only forty noble families who ruled the freehold of Valyria. In recent time, immediately prior to the rebellion, they were still very wealthy. Targaryen Lannister Tyrell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Hold Em Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Very rich. Aerys had a full treasure house. Lannister Targaryen Tyrell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Yozza Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Aerys left the coffers overflowing with gold, as stated by Ned in the first book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big P Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 1 hour ago, Adam Yozza said: Aerys left the coffers overflowing with gold, as stated by Ned in the first book. That is my understanding as well. Targaryen, Lannister, Hightower, and Tyrell are tops in terms of wealth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Yozza Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 3 hours ago, Intel XEON said: That is my understanding as well. Targaryen, Lannister, Hightower, and Tyrell are tops in terms of wealth. I think the Lannister's were wealthier than the Targ's but yeah I'm pretty sure they are the richest house's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinotaurWarrior Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 16 hours ago, Moiraine Sedai said: Simple question, but obviously we don't have the figures. But we can compare them, relative to the other families. We actually have some figures, but nothing to compare them to. Aerys made ~1/10 * the crown interest rate * 6,000,000 dragons per year. The fact that Rhaegar is considered to be a plausible secret backer of the Tourney at Harrenhal indicates that they were the richest house out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shierak Qiya Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 On 7/11/2016 at 2:40 AM, Tour De Force said: 300 years is a long span of time. Before or after they came to Dragonstone? They were one of only forty noble families who ruled the freehold of Valyria. In recent time, immediately prior to the rebellion, they were still very wealthy. Targaryen Lannister Tyrell I would also rank them like this. The Hightowers and the Freys would fill #4 and #5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarellen Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 On July 10, 2016 at 11:18 PM, Widowmaker 811 said: Lannister Tyrell Targaryen Hightower Frey How are the Frey so high up? They just own a bridge and an estate that can only raise 4000 soldiers. The boltons and the royces can raise more. The redwyne or the mandrelys deserve that spot. Also the targs are rich but they never seemed to be that rich. There landholdings are small and they don't seem to tax there subjects that much seeing as the monarchy was never strong. There were tax collectors in white harbor but the Starks always seemed to get a bigger cut of that pie then the targs. The only thing of major value they own is kings landing. Which puts them below the Tyrells and Lannisters but above the tullys Starks and arryns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bent branch Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 1. Hightower 2. Lannister 3. Tyrell 4. Redwyne 5. Targaryen Somewhere in the books (I'm not going to look it up), it is implied that the Hightowers are the wealthiest family in Westeros. They are definitely wealthier than the Tyrells. It can not be emphasized enough how much wealth is in the Reach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarellen Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 58 minutes ago, bent branch said: 1. Hightower 2. Lannister 3. Tyrell 4. Redwyne 5. Targaryen Somewhere in the books (I'm not going to look it up), it is implied that the Hightowers are the wealthiest family in Westeros. They are definitely wealthier than the Tyrells. It can not be emphasized enough how much wealth is in the Reach. Why are redwynes richer then the targs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bent branch Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 3 hours ago, Tarellen said: Why are redwynes richer then the targs? The Redwynes make their money in luxury wines and import/export business. Most of the Redwyne fleet is trading ships of one type or another. ETA: What the Redwynes do with their trading ships is they fill them up with the highly prized wines they produce. Ship the wines to Essos, where they trade the wine for other luxury items that they then bring back to Westeros and sell. Basically, they are making their trips pay both ways. Making them very rich. One thing that may be confusing to modern day readers is that money and power usually go together in our world. However, in feudal society money and power didn't necessarily reside in the same place. Power was achieved through alliances, not wealth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boarsbane Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Immediately prior to the rebellion the treasury should of been overflowing, but if you talk about the entire reign it seems to have come and gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boarsbane Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 4 hours ago, bent branch said: 1. Hightower 2. Lannister 3. Tyrell 4. Redwyne 5. Targaryen Somewhere in the books (I'm not going to look it up), it is implied that the Hightowers are the wealthiest family in Westeros. They are definitely wealthier than the Tyrells. It can not be emphasized enough how much wealth is in the Reach. It's implied throughout the books the Lannisters are the richest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinotaurWarrior Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 1 hour ago, Boarsbane said: It's implied throughout the books the Lannisters are the richest From the worldbook: Quote the wealth that remained made House Velaryon the richest in the realm—richer even than the Lannisters and Hightowers, for a time The phrasing of this sentence does, as bent branch says, weakly imply that the Hightowers are in some sense richer than the Lannisters, else listing them after house Lannister would provide no new information. However, they are clearly less famous for being wealthy, and it's a weak implication. Regardless, in a nonmarket economy without the rule of law it's unlikely for there to really be one right answer to this question. We could (theoretically) compare things like the amount of coin in their vaults, but that's obviously insufficient when you consider the Lannisters, at least for most of their history, have had far more gold beneath the castle than within it. In many years, the hightower's agricultural incomes might be higher than the Lannister's mining productivity, but you can't burn down a gold mine. I think it only makes sense to think that the family with inexhaustible gold mines is the richest in coin, and anyone "richer" is richer in some other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boarsbane Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 50 minutes ago, MinotaurWarrior said: From the worldbook: The phrasing of this sentence does, as bent branch says, weakly imply that the Hightowers are in some sense richer than the Lannisters, else listing them after house Lannister would provide no new information. However, they are clearly less famous for being wealthy, and it's a weak implication. Regardless, in a nonmarket economy without the rule of law it's unlikely for there to really be one right answer to this question. We could (theoretically) compare things like the amount of coin in their vaults, but that's obviously insufficient when you consider the Lannisters, at least for most of their history, have had far more gold beneath the castle than within it. In many years, the hightower's agricultural incomes might be higher than the Lannister's mining productivity, but you can't burn down a gold mine. I think it only makes sense to think that the family with inexhaustible gold mines is the richest in coin, and anyone "richer" is richer in some other way. It implies they are very rich but in no way does it imply they are richer. I'm guessing he was referring to the line from I believe it was Randyll Tarly in one of Sam's chapters saying the Hightowers are as rich as the Lannisters, it's also weak evidence though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtree Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Lannister is the richest without doubt, "Though never kings, the Casterlys became the richest lords in all of Westeros and the greatest power in the westerlands" AWOIAF So casterly became the richest house from the rock alone while Lannister has the rock, the westerland, lannisport which is the 3rd biggest city in westeros and taxes from their bannermen and from other gold mines such as Golden Tooth, Castamere, Nunn's Deep and Pendric Hills. Their wealth is simply immense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinotaurWarrior Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 10 hours ago, Boarsbane said: It implies they are very rich but in no way does it imply they are richer. I'm guessing he was referring to the line from I believe it was Randyll Tarly in one of Sam's chapters saying the Hightowers are as rich as the Lannisters, it's also weak evidence though. That quote goes: Quote "What is Lord Hightower doing?" Sam blurted. "My father always said he was as wealthy as the Lannisters, and could command thrice as many swords as any of Highgarden's other bannermen." Which I don't think can be in any way construed as the Hightowers being wealthier than the Lannisters, unless maybe you go through the ridiculous assumption that the pluralization matters here - e.g. Layton is as rich as all of the Lannisters put together, and once you factor in all of Layton's other relations, then the Hightowers are collectively wealthier. I think that's an absurd interpretation though. 3 hours ago, redtree said: Lannister is the richest without doubt, "Though never kings, the Casterlys became the richest lords in all of Westeros and the greatest power in the westerlands" AWOIAF So casterly became the richest house from the rock alone while Lannister has the rock, the westerland, lannisport which is the 3rd biggest city in westeros and taxes from their bannermen and from other gold mines such as Golden Tooth, Castamere, Nunn's Deep and Pendric Hills. Their wealth is simply immense So, I don't think the line about Casterly's is decisive, because westeros in the age of heroes looked very very different than Westeros circa 300 AC. That was an era of petty kings where the Starks and Gardeners and Royces had not yet established themselves as total overlords in their respective regions. Casterly Rock is, I think, without a doubt the single most valuable holding in all of Westeros (under normal conditions - Dragonstone is worth more during the apocalypse). The general trend towards acquiring more and more holdings would, naturally, dilute the impact of that one single holding. Plus there's the fact that the gold mines of the westerlands are a depletable resource, while other regions are more able to either store production (e.g. Redwynes) or invest in capital / infrastructure (e.g. the Freys & river lords in general) I agree with your conclusion, I just think that's not the very best piece of evidence out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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