3 ms·
But information traveled as slowly as people then, unless we're talking about short distances that pigeons could cover (or I guess something equivalent to the p
by Judgmentality 6y ago
But information traveled as slowly as people then, unless we're talking about short distances that pigeons could cover (or I guess something equivalent to the pony express, but that seems unlikely). They still had to send a courier to actually deliver the message to exchange the money, and there may very well have been a requirement of receiving this message (otherwise how would you know that the money hadn't already been moved since there can be a weeks to months long delay between messages)?
- brobdingnagians 6y agoI think one of the major benefits of it is that you can send one courier with information about the passwords and money amounts, without having to send a wagon or boat load of specie. That one person can travel much faster than a caravan and there is no risk of theft. A caravan takes large amounts of preparation and is a target for robbers.
- pratik661 6y agoHuman travelers need rest. Horses get tired, etc. A message can be transferred to a fresh courier. In fact the ancient Persian empire had a system where horses were stationed at regular intervals so that a message could travel across the empire without halting.
- philwelch 6y agoTelegraphy was invented in the late 18th century and electric telegraphy in the 19th.