This might be a silly question, but... in Cyrodiil we have gold and silver mines. The latter are easy to see the use for as there are quite a bit of silverware in the province- goblets, plates, urns, bowls etc. But what about the gold mines? Are the mines there simply to transfer the gold nuggets to rings and amulets? Or are they actually melted into the currency used? Gold/Septims?

I imagine it's mainly used for jewelery and currency, although some of it may be used as trim on ebony armor.

Well, as you said, you've got your silverware, jewlery, silver weapons, etc. As far as gold goes, there is jewlery, trim (as afore mentioned), and of course currency (they usually call it "gold" after all), amongst other things I'm sure.

Just wondering, what's trim? And what about all the other citchenwares and jewlery, made of clay, pewter, brass, copper etc. There should be some kind of industry - is that imported into Cyrodiil from other provinces? Are there various mines and factories in other provinces, or are they just not shown in the game? Does lore say anything about this?

Also notice how all the Mines in Oblivion are abandoned, crumbled, shattered, etc?
Along with Ayleid RUINS, Ruined Forts, Everything is ruined.

I'd imagine that gold is used for the purposes already mentioned.

As to other metals, I'd imagine that there are mines and other places to produce them, though they're either imported or simply not shown in game.



Well, with the mine you have to clear of goblins in one early Fighter's Guild quest, it's at least implied that it was only recently abandoned due to goblin trouble.

But in any case, you're right. And that really doesn't make any sense from a lore standpoint (except Ayleid ruins, as the Ayleids aren't in power in Cyrodiil anymore.) I think the thing is Oblivion wasn't trying to make sense in that aspect, Bethesda decided that they needed more types of dungeons, and asked themselves "What would fit the game we're making?" and came up with fort ruins and abandoned mines, then proceeded to fill Cyrodiil with them, but never thought to put a few non-ruined/abandoned ones in the game for the sake of realism.

Well, perhaps Cyrodiil had a continous problem with mines being overrun by goblins, bandits and vampires - and so they decided to just abandon them and import instead?

No, they went the way of the legion forts, the jungle, and all the other awesome stuff.

*nods*

It seems that most of the mines are abandoned, they appear to be too depleted to justify opening up a new mining operation (some still have ore, but not much). As for the forts, they seem to be pretty old, and since Cyrodiil took control of the provinces and Akavir hasn't invaded in centuries, there isn't much call for rebuilding and reoccupying crumbled forts.

This lack of natural resources may explain the aggressive expansion of the empire. I personally don't know how long the empire has been in existence, but maybe they've mined to the limit of their capababilities. I doubt mines would be as deep today as they are without modern equipment, so maybe they have to go to other territories to get gold, and silver etc...

And I know there was a pottery industry in Ald-Ruhn in TES 3, or at least I figured the one guy that had the hut full of it had to get it somewhere. So maybe they just import most of that from the Dunmer.

Trim is the detail they put on stuff to make it pretty. =] Like, If you'll notice on Ebony Weapons/ Armour, there is decorative gold lineing and such. This is trim.

Its been around for pretty much the entire third era. Tiber septim used the giant stompy robot Numidium, dragons, military might, and diplomacy to acheive his ends.