Right now, there's enough to support the absurdly high-Upkeep labs, and still to tuck away a tidy sum each year. More magi, a cavarly force, and inflation will eat into that, but there'll still be a surplus in average years (and possibly even bad ones).
In the end, it depends on how challenging you want things to be--if we really have more money than we know what to do with, then monetary resources won't be a source of stories--though all those riches might well attract unwelcome attention.
We should aim for the mundane cashflow to be resistant to major disruption; either through having a surplus which can be horded and spent cyclically, or by several sources. I think that desire is covered from what MTK has described, so after that any extra coins are just more metal. A Boon of some sort would be good, but I think unless the surplus is consistently large there should be consideration to how to grow the covenant. And significant growth requires investment.
I'd note though a lot of things which I think would make good upgrades for the covenant cost a significant amount of silver, so I couldn't see a scenario where the Magi didn't have a plan for improvement. Getting each project underway with skilled resources is probably more an issue, but again, that is a great problem to have.
lab improvements, multiple specialist buildings, better living quarters for the folk (+morale), funding of expeditions by companion class characters, a wider breadth of farm stock, etc.
I now this is a more conservative approach, but the last thing I want to worry about is paying the covenfolk, or having to skimp on equipment, or on labs.
With the current expenses (which will go up, as I've noted before), and the planned income sources, the surplus would be over two-thirds of the income--that is, over 170 pounds a year.
One possibility is to have two Lesser sources in addition to the main income source (the quarry); that gives a lower total than two Typical sources, but it's less vulnerable to disruptions. Also, the sales of toys from the regio is a little more believable as a Lesser source, I think.
170 pounds is certainly a very large surplus, so it makes sense to drop it downward - especially if that also grants a Boon or removes some other disadvantage. Skimming p.71 of Covenants I think we could easily spend ~40-50 pounds per year on extras and improvements if we planned it, so a surplus around that would be good. But whatever we end with should be fine too.
I've no fundemental objection to toning down the income a bit, although would depend on what it was replaced with. Did you have anything specific in mind?
I just had another look. The two that seem most a propos are another level of Hidden Resources, and Felicitous Tribunal (which could represent the general support the Tribunal has pledged for the covenant, even though it's not quite on the Dedicated Covenant level).
Hidden resources are always a bonus, BUT they demand story time to uncover, and "story time" is at a premium in PbP. If it can be dovetailed into the larger story arc, all well and good, otherwise I'd be hesitant to give it my nod.
How about an allied Covenant? Someone to trade library books with, to support us in Tribunal, as a safe haven when in that neck of the woods, a 2ndary location for stories, and generally act as a fallback "for whatever" - it would make sense if the Cov't is, in some sense, "official" to have another covenant in our corner.
If you want to use somewhere canonical, either Polyaigos (benevolent Autumn covenant) or Gigas (Tremere House covenant) from HoH:TL could work as a base (outlines are in TSE) - alternatively, create your own from scratch.
I should probably also note that Gregorius has a very vague and long term plan of Nova Castra being the first covenant of a new tribunal created by the expansion of the Order into new territory in the back of his head.
The closest covenant would actually be Viola's first one, Haunted Springs, on the southern coast of Crimea (no, it's not canonical, but with Viola in this saga, it must exist or have existed ).
An additional npc covenant wouldn't need to be on an empty border in terms of hermetic tribunal to be a useful ally; it could be anywhere an offer benefit. Involving Viola's background covenant in stories will certainly strongly link her to the activity (which is great!) but it will also mean that you as a player won't have absolute authority about the events and style of her background influences once that activity starts. Are you OK with that MTK?
Her participation in the covenant ended a few years ago, but the old saga ended long before that--there's no telling who among the original magi was still there when she left. One advantage is that I had a couple of plots going during the earlier saga that never came to fruition, and I could build on those. But, honestly, it's just one possibllity.
As a player in that saga, I would enjoy seeing its inclusion
As for Haunted Springs' magi, I'd be happy to speak for Stephanos (Tytalus covenant leader) and Morte (Criamon Hoplite). I've got a good handle on both personalities.
I've been thinking about the undefined other income source. Thinking that a source like livestock (how much space do we have?) of some sort might be a good option, or a bee farm as it creates a luxury item and does not need massive spar.
A few weavers added to sheep could generate reasonable base products. On sell the raw products or also manufacturer woollen garments.
The field were Patricks experiment was conducted is a good start.
With livestock, we might place ourselves in competition with the locals. I actually already had come up with another source--I just hadn't introduced it to you. However, didn't we say we were going to forego that in favor of another Boon?
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