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The use of uniquely cut zig zags to confirm two document halves came from the same pair is really interesting.
by erichurkman 9y ago
The use of uniquely cut zig zags to confirm two document halves came from the same pair is really interesting.
- paulsutter 9y agoThe split tally (used prior to paper money) used a similar method with wood to create a primitive distributed* ledger: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40189959 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40189959 *if two nodes counts as “distributed”
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- Turing_Machine 9y agoThe jagged, toothed edge is called an "indenture", which is also where the term "indentured servant" comes from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indenture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indenture
- juanuys 9y agoReminds me of a book I read a while ago: 'Debt: the first 5000 years' [0] [0]: http://dbpedia.org/page/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years http://dbpedia.org/page/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years
- yesbabyyes 9y agoThanks. This, and the etymology by Turing_Machine below of indentured servitude, sent me down an interesting journey to the Burning of Parliament in London, 1834. They burned all of the tally sticks of the Exchequer, but the circumstances were such that the Parliament burned down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Parliament https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Parliament
- Angostura 9y agoThe article doesn’t mention it, but this practice of cutting in half in a tooth pattern is where the legal term ‘indenture’ comes from.
- colanderman 9y agoYes, but it brings up some questions: 1) Unlike the tally stick mentioned by another commenter, this seems easy to forge (find a similar piece of parchment; use a knife to cut it identically; bribe the original scribe to write something new). 2) Given a mismatch in either the text or the cut of the two copies, what happens? Clearly the law can't simply prefer one party by default, or that party has no incentive not to forge a document (even poorly). Even given an illiterate populace, I'm surprised the modern system of sign/countersign/notarize wasn't used earlier.
- erichurkman 9y agoThe middle piece was kept by the court. If you lose trust in the court then all bets are off.
- colanderman 9y agoAh I didn't realize it was tripartite. That makes more sense.