Cubit

Starbuck wagers cubits at the Pyramid table (The Man with Nine Lives).

Cubits are a form of government-regulated currency used throughout the Twelve Colonies in both the Original Series and Re-imagined Series.

In the Original Series

Cubits were normally seen in coin form. Frequently, viewers see cubits wagered in pyramid games, usually while Starbuck is playing (The Man with Nine Lives).

In Galactica 1980

Cubits are much the same in terms of appearance from the Original Series. However, it is revealed that they were made out of auric, the Colonial term for gold (The Super Scouts, Part I).

In the Re-imagined Series

Betting with gold and silver cubits during a game of Triad (Act of Contrition).

The cubit typically comes in both a coin and paper form (Miniseries).

The paper version is shown to come in denominations of 100, 500 (Act of Contrition) and 1000 (Colonial Day); there are very likely others. The paper version also includes the shorthand for cubit "cb", next to the number it denotes. Coin versions of cubits also exist and bear the icon of the colony of origin on at least one side. Coins can be gold or silver (Black Market).

Currency within the refugee fleet led by Galactica became technically worthless as pointed out by Tom Zarek. However, President Roslin's administration strives to address this. Presidential aide Wallace Gray is instrumental in a move to return the Fleet to a currency-based economy to allow commerce in the Fleet to continue, so this form of currency is still utilized (Colonial Day).

It is assumed that cubits became the common currency after the Articles of Colonization were passed.

Related Imagery

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Notes

• The Cubit is an ancient unit of measurement used by various civilizations (varying in size between them). It is mentioned several times in the Bible, most prominently in the Old Testament descriptions of Noah's Ark and the Temple of Solomon. The natural cubit is based on the distance between thumb and another finger to the elbow on an average person, around 1.5 feet (0.5m).

• As a system of currency, the Cubit is somewhat analogous to the Euro, the international currency of the much of the European Union. Cubits, like Euros, are universally accepted across all twelve Colonies and most likely became the common currency after the federal government was established with the signing of the Articles of Colonization. While the other EU member countries still use their non-Euro currency, no mention has been made of any pre-federal currency native to the individual Colonies as of yet.

• The artwork for the Colonial cubits used in the show includes the phrase "Seventh Millennium of Time". This is a nod to the Original Series, as that series's opening is set just before the seventh millennium of time. The artwork also includes a previous concept of the Colonial "bird" seal drawn by Ken Rabehl.