There will be costs involved in establishing and supporting a Principality. The SCA in New Zealand has the financial resources and management experience to afford this.
Approximate levels of group funds as reported by SCANZ (31 March 2020), show:
Ildhafn: $8,214 Cluain: $5,913
Darton: $8,139 Southron Gaard: $25,222 *
SCA NZ: $26, 750
In addition, SCA NZ Inc. holds $13,000 in Kingdom funds primarily tagged for support of an NZ Crown to avoid losses due to exchange/transfer rates. (NB this does not automatically mean it could be used to support a Coronet, though that might be negotiable in part.)
So as of 31 March 2020, the NZ group balance was almost $49,000, up from $28,000 a decade earlier; SCANZ’s $26,750 was up from $12,700 in 2010. NZ can well afford to support likely establishment and running costs
* There are sometimes comments that the SG accounts usually reflect an inflated balance due to income from Canterbury Faire sitting in the account; but checks against the Barony’s ledger balances for May, July and September 2019 (including a CF balance report and avoiding the CF income period) show $25K to be a rough standing average).
Establishment Costs
These would entirely depend on what is decided on as necessary up-front costs, less possible gifting/donations or specific fund-raising efforts. With a likely 2-4 year planning timeframe, these should be easy to manage.
Possible establishment cost areas
Coronets $4,000 high-end, could be as low as $100
Regalia eg rings, robes, fealty chains $2,000 as above
Pageantry: eg thrones, banners $1,000 optional, or use group assets
On-going Costs: Travel
The main on-going cost for a Principality is likely to be a travel subsidy for the Coronet. The Coronet/Investiture event/s would be obligatory attendance on the part of the incumbents; if combined would be a single event at the end of a Coronet reign. Other travel could be planned around road trips, flight discount periods and suchlike.
Current Kingdom policy allows $4,500 per Crown reign with $1,125 of that permitted for inter-Kingdom travel (generally used for attending Pennsic). Actual Crown travel costs are significantly more, covered personally and sometimes assisted with group donations (eg Canterbury Faire tallage). https://exchequer.lochac.sca.org/doku.php/crowntravel
For an NZ Principality, shorter distances and lower transportation costs, as well as group donations/assistance, should help keep travel costs down, even allowing for potentially higher costs post-COVID. Looking forward, if carbon offsets become a thing, then reducing long flights could have monetary (as well as environmental) benefits for the Kingdom.
Ballpark annual travel subsidy: $500-1,000 – plus local tallages if offered