With PoE 2, Currency is not only a medium for trading and crafting, but also a necessary resource for upgrading your gear! Every type of currency can enhance a specific item or roll modifiers. This guide covers the most important elements of POE 2 currency such as Descriptions and applications of unique properties, Trade League vs. SSF evaluation, and recommended approaches for the Currency Exchange.

• Trade Leagues & Solo Self-Found (SSF) 
• Currency Exchange
• Scroll of Wisdom
• Orb of Augmentation
• Orb of Transmutation 
• Regal Orbs
• Exalted Orbs
• Chaos Orbs
• Vaal Orbs
• Orbs of Alchemy
• Divine Orb
• Orb of Chance
• Orb of Annulment
• Artificer's Orb
• Armorer's Scrap
• Blacksmith's Whetstone
• Arcanist's Etcher
• Glassblower's Bauble
• Gemcutter's Prism (GCP)
• Jeweller's Orbs
• Mirror of Kalandra

Some currencies are only available in bulk, while others are exceptionally rare. While the common ones can be used freely during the campaign, the rare ones should be reserved for high-impact crafting or trading.

↖ Trade Leagues & Solo Self-Found (SSF) 

Currency usage varies significantly between Trade Leagues and Solo Self-Found (SSF) modes. 

↖ Currency Exchange

The Currency Exchange, which can be unlocked in Act 4, is great for managing your resources in Trade Leagues. It enables players to exchange previously useless currency into something much more valuable. 

How Does It Work?

• Step 1: Access the Currency Exchange in Act 4 and beyond. 
• Step 2: Utilize lesser-used currencies such as Scrolls of Wisdom for those of greater value like Chaos Orbs or Exalted Orbs (depending on the current market rates). 
• Step 3: Perform Scrolls of Wisdoms test different trades attempting to identify profitable exchanges. Trading Scrolls of Wisdom for Exalted Orbs may be painstakingly slow, but with some patience the attempts yield results. 

Main Uses:

• Conduct Market Research: Having a strong understanding of the current exchange rate is vital to make sure the trades are not wasted. 
• Passive Income: Exchange surplus currency for something better more efficiently and with less effort.

↖ Scroll of Wisdom

Scrolls of Wisdom are used to identify unidentified items, revealing their stats and potential mods.

Key Points:

• Early: Essential in Act 1 for identifying gear.
• Mid to Late: Abundant drops make them unnecessary to loot.
• Alternative Source: Purchase from vendors for 25 gold (affordable after Act 1).

Recommendation:

Avoid looting Scrolls of Wisdom after Act 1. They are common and can be easily acquired when needed.

↖ Orb of Augmentation

Orbs of Augmentation add a random modifier to a magic (blue) item with only one existing modifier.

Key Points:

• Value: Extremely low value (~0.006 Exalted Orbs).
• Usage:
  • Use freely on magic items with a good initial modifier.
  • Experiment with flasks or other items that might benefit from additional mods.
  • Hoarding: Not necessary; these drop frequently.

Recommendation:

Use Orbs of Augmentation liberally without concern for cost. They are plentiful and inexpensive.

↖ Orb of Transmutation 

Orbs of Transmutation upgrade a normal (white) item to a magic (blue) item.

Key Features:

• Value: Low (~0.008 Exalted Orbs).
• Usage Scenarios:
  • Apply to jewelry or flasks with potential for good mods.
  • Avoid using on sapphire rings or other bases that can sell unmodified.
  • Alternative Pathways: Consider using an Orb of Chance instead if specific valuable uniques are possible outcomes.

Recommendation:

Do not hoard these; they drop in large quantities. Use them on items with potential or experiment as needed.

↖ Regal Orbs

Regal Orbs upgrade a magic (blue) item to a rare (yellow) item by adding one random modifier.

Key Features:

• Value: Moderate (~0.16 Exalted Orbs, fluctuates).
• Usage Scenarios:Best used on magic items with strong existing mods and high potential, Suitable for enhancing maps to add beneficial modifiers.
• Advanced Use: Combine with Omen of Sinestral Coronation to restrict added mods to prefixes (useful for maps with dangerous suffix mods).

Recommendation:

Use Regal Orbs strategically on items or maps with high potential. Avoid using them on regular gear unless you are working toward a specific crafting goal.

↖ Exalted Orbs

Exalted Orbs are a high-value currency primarily used for low-end trades and crafting rare modifiers on items. They have become a standard medium for transactions in the in-game economy.

Key Features:

• Market Trends: The market value of Exalted Orbs has declined significantly in recent times, They are relatively common but still require consistent farming or trading to accumulate.
• Sustainability: Casual players may find it challenging to sustain a steady supply of Exalted Orbs. Magic Find builds can significantly increase the drop rate of Exalted Orbs, making them more accessible for dedicated players.

Main Uses:

Note:

In rare cases, players have reported earning over 250 Exalted Orbs in a single high-reward Way Stone run, demonstrating their potential for exponential growth when used strategically.

↖ Chaos Orbs

Chaos Orbs are versatile currency items used to re-roll modifiers on rare items. They are considered a cornerstone of item customization and mid-tier trading. Chaos Orbs once had a higher drop rate but were adjusted by the developers to balance the economy. Currently, 3 Chaos Orbs are roughly equivalent to 7 Exalted Orbs in fair market value.

Main Uses:

Advanced Use:

The Omen of Whittling is a powerful but rare crafting tool. Use it strategically on items with significant potential to maximize its value.

↖ Vaal Orbs

Vaal Orbs are a high-risk, high-reward currency item in POE 2. Their primary purpose is to modify items unpredictably while applying the Corrupted tag, which prevents further modification through currency. These orbs are versatile and can yield both negative and positive outcomes, making them a powerful but risky tool.

Key Features:

Main Uses:

• Avoid Using on Irreplaceable Items: Since Vaal Orbs can ruin items, only apply them to gear you can afford to lose or replace.
• Use on High-Potential Items: Apply them to rare or unique items with strong baseline stats or valuable mods to maximize potential gains.
• Leverage Omens of Corruption: If available, use these expensive items to eliminate the "no effect" outcome when corrupting rare items.
• Enhance Unique Items Strategically: Certain uniques, such as Widowhail or Black Sun Crest, benefit greatly from Vaal Orb enhancements.
• Experiment on Maps: Applying Vaal Orbs to maps can yield better loot and more challenging encounters, making them excellent for farming.

↖ Orbs of Alchemy

Orbs of Alchemy are essential currency items used to upgrade a normal item into a rare item with four random modifiers. They are cost-effective compared to manually crafting rare items but require a commitment to the resulting random mods from the start.

Key Features:

Main Uses:

• Early Game Gear Upgrades: Use on your weakest gear slots during the campaign to boost survivability and damage output.
• Focus on Waystones in Endgame: Save these orbs for crafting Waystones in the endgame to maximize loot drops and farming efficiency.
• Don't Hoard Excessively: Orbs of Alchemy are relatively inexpensive, so use them liberally rather than hoarding them unnecessarily.
• Trade When Needed: If you find yourself running low, consider trading for them as they are commonly available in the economy.

↖ Divine Orb

The Divine Orb is one of the most valuable currencies in Path of Exile 2. It allows players to reroll the numeric values of explicit modifiers on a piece of equipment, making it essential for perfecting high-value items.

Why Are Divine Orbs So Valuable?

The current high demand for Divine Orbs can be attributed to:

Price Trends:

• Launch Period: Initially priced at 3.9–4 Exalted Orbs.
• Current Market: Stabilized at approximately 118–118.5 Exalted Orbs.
• Fluctuations: Prices have ranged from as low as 40 to as high as 118 Exalted Orbs due to evolving meta demands.

Key Features:

• Use them strategically on high-value items like Ingenuity belts with low rolls.
• Avoid wasting them on items with minimal impact from rerolling modifiers.
• Monitor market trends to trade or use them at optimal times.

↖ Orb of Chance

The Orb of Chance is a wildcard currency that transforms a normal item into a random rarity, including the possibility of upgrading it to a unique item.

How Does it Work?

1. Basic Functionality: Applies to normal (white) items; Has a small chance to upgrade the item into a unique version.
2. Failure Consequences: The normal item and the Orb of Chance are consumed if the upgrade fails.

Factors Influencing Success:

• Rarity of the Target Unique: Common uniques (e.g., Angles Harmony) have a higher chance of being created; Extremely rare uniques (e.g., Dream Fragment) have significantly lower chances.
• Item Drop Restrictions: Some uniques, such as those dropped exclusively by bosses (e.g., Hand of Wisdom and Action), cannot be obtained via Orbs of Chance.

Main Use Cases for Orb of Chance

Notes: 

Orbs of Chance are invaluable for targeting specific uniques that cannot be easily traded for. Ensure the targeted unique can drop from normal monsters; otherwise, the orb will fail without being consumed.

↖ Orb of Annulment

The Orb of Annulment is a rare crafting currency in *Path of Exile 2* that removes a random modifier from an item. Its rarity and niche use make it important to understand when and how to use it effectively.

Key Features:

• Functionality: Removes one random modifier (prefix or suffix) from an item.
• Rarity: Estimated to be 2–2.5 times rarer than Divine Orbs.
• Use Case: Primarily for advanced crafting scenarios or high-value items.

When to Use an Orb of Annulment?

Notes:

• Avoid using Orbs of Annulment casually on rare items; Chaos Orbs often achieve similar results more efficiently.
• Reserve for high-value crafting projects, such as items worthy of mirroring with a Mirror of Kalandra.
• In Solo Self-Found (SSF) leagues, save these orbs for critical crafting needs due to their rarity.

↖ Artificer's Orb

The Artificer's Orb is a utility currency designed for socket-related crafting tasks. Unlike the Orb of Annulment, it is relatively common and affordable, making it suitable for frequent use.

Key Features:

• Functionality: Used for socket-related crafting (e.g., modifying item sockets).
• Rarity: Commonly obtained through Artificer's Shards, which are acquired by shattering items with sockets.
• Cost: Approximately 0.2 Exalted Orbs in trade value (as of current league).

When to Use an Artificer's Orb?

• Case 1 (Frequent Crafting): Feel free to use Artificer's Orbs liberally, as they are easy to obtain or trade for.
• Case 2 (Socket Management): Ideal for fine-tuning sockets on your gear without significant investment.

How to Obtain More Artificer's Orbs?

• Method 1 (Shatter Socketed Items): Pick up items with sockets in maps and shatter them into Artificer's Shards.
• Method 2 (Trade): Since they are inexpensive, it's often more efficient to trade for them rather than farming shards manually.

Notes: 

Avoid hoarding Artificer's Orbs; they are easily replaceable through trade or farming. Use them as needed for socket adjustments without hesitation.

↖ Armorer's Scrap

Armorer's Scrap is used to increase the base defenses on armor items, including chest armor, helmets, gloves, and boots.

Key Features:

• Effect: Improves the quality of armor, enhancing its defensive stats.
• Rarity: Moderately rare in POE 2 compared to POE 1.
• Cost: Approximately 2.5 Armorer's Scraps per Exalted Orb.
• Main Uses:
  1. Apply only to armor pieces you plan to use for several hours of gameplay.
  2. Best used when the cost is negligible relative to your currency reserves.

↖ Blacksmith's Whetstone

Blacksmith's Whetstone enhances the quality of weapons, making it a crucial currency for attack-based builds.

Key Features:

• Effect: Increases weapon quality, improving damage output.
• Rarity: Relatively common and inexpensive (~7 Whetstones per Exalted Orb).
• Main Uses:
  1. Prioritize using on weapons that are central to your build.
  2. Ideal for players relying on attack-based mechanics.

↖ Arcanist's Etcher

The Arcanist's Etcher is a unique currency that improves the quality of built-in skills on specific items like wands, staves, and scepters.

Key Features:

• Effect: Enhances the gem quality of built-in skills on eligible items.
• Rarity: Moderately rare but affordable.
• Main Uses:
  1. Use on staves, wands, or scepters with valuable built-in skills.
  2. Apply if the item is a long-term part of your build or even occasionally used in combat.

↖ Glassblower's Bauble

Glassblower's Bauble improves the quality of flasks, making it a valuable currency for survivability and utility enhancements.

Key Features:

• Effect: Increases flask quality, improving their effects and duration.
• Rarity: Rare but becoming more accessible (~0.8 Exalted Orbs per Bauble).
• Main Uses:
  1. Use only after finalizing your flask setup.
  2. Prioritize flasks that are critical to your build (e.g., Life or Mana Flasks).

↖ Gemcutter's Prism (GCP)

Gemcutter's Prism is a premium currency used to improve the quality of skill gems, directly boosting their power.

Key Features:

• Effect: Enhances the quality stat of skill gems, which varies by gem type.
• Rarity: Rare and expensive (~9 Exalted Orbs for four GCPs).
• Main Uses:
  1. Prioritize high-impact gems where quality significantly boosts performance (e.g., gems with increased damage or utility).
  2. Avoid using on low-priority or easily replaceable gems.

↖ Jeweller's Orbs

Jeweller's Orbs are an essential currency type in PoE 2, primarily used to modify the number of sockets on skill gems. They come in three variants: Lesser Jeweller's Orb, Greater Jeweller's Orb, and Perfect Jeweller's Orb. 

Key Notes:

• Lesser Jeweller's Orbs:
  • Common and inexpensive.
  • Ideal for experimentation or early-game upgrades.
  • Be cautious when combining with other currency types (e.g., Vaaled Orbs) as it may limit future upgrades.
• Greater Jeweller's Orbs:
  • Significant cost increase compared to Lesser Jeweller's Orbs.
  • Best used when transitioning to mid-game content.
• Perfect Jeweller's Orbs:
  • Extremely rare and valuable.
  • Reserved for late-game builds requiring maximum power scaling.

Notes:

1. Use Lesser Jeweller's Orbs freely during early progression but avoid overcommitting resources to low-priority gems.
2. Transition to Greater Jeweller's Orbs only when your build demands higher socket counts for optimal performance.
3. Save Perfect Jeweller's Orbs for your most important skill gems after reaching endgame content.

↖ Mirror of Kalandra

As in PoE 1, The Mirror of Kalandra is one of the rarest and most coveted items in PoE 2. It allows players to duplicate an item, creating an exact mirrored copy with one critical limitation: the mirrored copy cannot be further modified.

Mechanics

Comparison: PoE 1 Vs PoE 2

• PoE 1: the Mirror of Kalandra was considered the pinnacle of item duplication due to its ability to replicate powerful rare items.
• PoE 2: its utility is diminished slightly because Vaaled Orbs (VOBs) can push items beyond their normal limits, which mirrored items cannot benefit from.

Current Market Value (as of writing):

Offers for Mirrors range from 5,000 Exalts, but their true value is closer to 40,000 Exalts and rising due to chronic undersupply.

Use Value:

1. Endgame Optimization: Use the Mirror only on items that are already at their absolute peak in terms of stats and modifiers.
2. Trade Value: Given its rarity, many players choose to trade Mirrors for other high-value resources or items instead of using them directly.

That's all for the PoE 2 Currency Items Guide. As the game continues to change, more amazing currency items will appear. We will keep you updated with new PoE 2 Currencies that will be released in the future! !