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[edit]
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 the Re-imagined Series[edit]
The cubit typically comes in two forms: coin and paper (Miniseries).
The paper version is shown to come in denominations of 500 (Act of Contrition) and 1000 (Colonial Day); there are very likely others. 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.
Notes[edit]
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).