Crimson Guards?! Damn, I really need to re-read!
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Finished GotM; have some questions (spoilers) - sffworld.com
Read through that for some other musings on the Coinbearer - it seems to be generally accepted that he played no part. I'm starting to think that the reason for it was so that he could get lucky and escape this, that and the other - a side effect of being the coinbearer.