Palladium

From Hellgatewiki.com

Palladium is the "gold" of Hellgate: London. Whether or not this is related to the actual metal called palladium is not known. The Novel tells us that Templar employ a unique palladium alloy in their weaponry and armor for the war against the demons. It is described as being extremely tough and having a very high melting point. Forged with the aid of advanced kilns, and smiths adept in working with the Arcane, the result is an alloy capable of wounding and killing the resilient demons. Until the use of this alloy became wide-spread after the invasion, the military and law enforcement were powerless against the demons, as the weaponry commonly in use in 2020 (year of the initial strike on London) proved to be largely ineffective.

For this reason palladium has become highly valued, and works as a universal currency. You will find Palladium after killing monsters of every kind, as well as from crates and barrels. This is a good reason to shoot/hit every barrel or item destructible, especially early in the game. Collecting items that are unusable by your character and selling them to vendors is another way to earn Palladium.

"Palladium is an extremely strong, lightweight arcane alloy that channels magic. This usually surprises those who use weapons or armor crafted from it for the first time." Except from The Techsmith's Companion