How optimum is optimum?

[malekithe]

There is no difference between coins and gold in this instance. The game manufacturers placed in the 3 coins to 1 hammer exchange rate for universal sufferage and since all the previous discussion had 1:1.5 up to 1:8 exchanges depending on the worked tile I'll stick with the 1H : 3C as a general rule of thumb.
Malekithe, we will have to agree to disagree on this.

I agre that I disagree with you.

But, I'd like to point out the difference between commerce and gold, at least the way godotnut used it. When it is used for rush-buying, gold gets multiplied by your markets, banks, etc before it gets spent. So, in using Universal Suffrage to rush something, you are not trading 3 commerce for 1 hammer. You are trading some number less than 3 (depends on the structures you have in place) for 1 hammer. With a market, grocer, and bank, you are trading 1.5 commerce per hammer.