So, after seeing someone else find a promissory note in the Landing pawnshop and purchase it for less then it's face value, I decided to do a little testing.
Assuming it's not a bug that the notes can be sold there in the first place (which I'm kind of hoping it is), I did find one definite bug with my dark elf sorcerer. If you attempt to buy a note from the pawnshop using silvers with nothing in your right hand, the clerk will take the silvers in payment then deduct the price from the note you just bought also:
>get note
A sales clerk rushes over to assist you.
The sales clerk sneers and says, "Here, let me help you with that. Here we have a Wehnimer's promissory note. The selling price is 66 silvers. However, it'll be 69 silvers for someone like you."
The sales clerk says, "You can BUY the promissory note if you like. And don't think I haven't got my eye on you, Dark Elf."
>buy note
You decide to purchase the promissory note, and pay the sales clerk 69 silvers.
The sales clerk picks up the promissory note and checks to make sure it is in good condition. She says, "It's probably too good for you. Here."
She tosses the promissory note to you.
The clerk keeps your promissory note and gives you some change.
>weal
You have 62 coins with you.
Testing with an item in my right hand and empty left hand proved this only happens with an empty right hand:
unshe
You remove a black carmiln crosier curling around a carved smoke wisp from in your web bag.
>buy note
You decide to purchase the promissory note, and pay the sales clerk 69 silvers.
The sales clerk picks up the promissory note and checks to make sure it is in good condition. She says, "It's probably too good for you. Here."
She tosses the promissory note to you.
>weal
You have 62 coins with you.
You are carrying Wehnimer's promissory notes valued at a total of 100 silver.
You are carrying 162 silver between notes and coins.
Lastly, I was buying and selling this 100 silver note for 69 and 31 silvers respectively. That's with prolly the worst race/profession combination for buying/selling items, no citizenship in that town, and 0 ranks in trading. Would it be possible for someone with the right race/profession/stats/Trading/citizenship in the right town abuse this to essentially generate unlimited silvers (assuming they remembered to keep something in their right hand)?
I'm not trying to give anyone ideas or looking to abuse it myself, it's just easier to explain here... I'm fully intending to type up a bug report referencing this post as soon as I hit "post".
Starchitin
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
