Historical Trivia Questions

Lief Erikson · 09-03-2005, 07:29 PM

If people have historical trivia questions, bring them here! For the starter question to the thread, research is allowed. Users can specify whether or not others are allowed to do research to answer the question.

I just wanted to know if anyone here other than me knows the answer to this. If anyone here other than me does, I would like to give that person $5. I can't, unfortunately for him/her

. That person's praise however, for having accurately answered my question, will be great.

I doubt anyone here knows, but perhaps with research they could figure it out.

QUESTION:

According to the World Book, the first paper money was invented by the Chinese in the 600s AD. By how much time is the World Book off?

Lief Erikson · 09-03-2005, 08:14 PM

WARNING: I define "paper" just a little bit loosely.

Spock · 09-04-2005, 11:17 AM

Your question has no answer. The WB has that figure from it's sources so we're supposed to presume YOU have the correct date from ????????, not likely.

***Earniel*** · 09-04-2005, 11:37 AM

Hm, judging from memory the oldest Chinese writing was at least a few millennia old. Paper money is of course a different matter so I consulted google, out of curiosity.

Takin the hint about the "loosely termed paper" I came up with this:

"China was the first country to use paper money. Ancient paper money can be traced back to the Pai-Lu P'i-pi (white deer-skin money) of Han Dynasty (140 BC) and the Fei-Chien (flying money) of Tang Dynasty (618 AD)."

***Earniel*** · 09-14-2005, 03:32 AM

Oi! I do want to know whether I got close!

rohirrim TR · 09-14-2005, 03:14 PM

is someone going to post a qustion? (hey i just did whoa

) anyway cool idea for a thread

could Earniel Post a question since she was the only one to guess?

Lief Erikson · 09-15-2005, 12:36 PM

Spock: I thought someone would guess that

. You're WRONG

. Poor you

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Hm, judging from memory the oldest Chinese writing was at least a few millennia old. Paper money is of course a different matter so I consulted google, out of curiosity.

Takin the hint about the "loosely termed paper" I came up with this:

"China was the first country to use paper money. Ancient paper money can be traced back to the Pai-Lu P'i-pi (white deer-skin money) of Han Dynasty (140 BC) and the Fei-Chien (flying money) of Tang Dynasty (618 AD)."

Sorry for taking this long! I didn't notice that anyone had responded, stupid me. Thanks for doing me the honor of researching to find an answer

.

You may well be completely correct that 140 BC is when paper money was first developed in China. The date I had goes a little further back, but pretty close.

Here's what I was thinking of:

Around 300 BC, "paper" money was widely used in the Mediterranean Carthaginian Trading Empire. Symbols of value were stamped onto strips of leather in that empire and widely distributed. This was, I believe, the first major use of paper money. While it wasn't paper that was being used, the stamped value and overall idea behind the process was precisely the same as is used in modern cash.

This is an extremely obscure piece of trivia, and I like your answer a good deal. I've just been doing so much research about Carthage that I accidentally picked this bit of information up. The book I was reading said it was "the first paper money". I wonder if anyone even before the Carthaginians used the idea, however. Our historical data is limited by what we have currently discovered.

***Jonathan*** · 09-15-2005, 12:46 PM

Carthagian leather money - well you learn something new everyday. Good question Lief

***Earniel*** · 09-15-2005, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

Here's what I was thinking of:

Around 300 BC, "paper" money was widely used in the Mediterranean Carthaginian Trading Empire. Symbols of value were stamped onto strips of leather in that empire and widely distributed. This was, I believe, the first major use of paper money. While it wasn't paper that was being used, the stamped value and overall idea behind the process was precisely the same as is used in modern cash.

Carthago!

*hits desk with head*

D'oh! I misread your question!

I thought it was a given that the first 'paper' money was created in China and that the World book just gave a wrong estimation of when. So I didn't think of searching outside China.

Typical...

Oh, this is hilarious.

Anyway, thanks for answering so soon. It was a very intriging question.

09-03-2005, 07:29 PM	#1
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	Historical Trivia Questions If people have historical trivia questions, bring them here! For the starter question to the thread, research is allowed. Users can specify whether or not others are allowed to do research to answer the question. I just wanted to know if anyone here other than me knows the answer to this. If anyone here other than me does, I would like to give that person $5. I can't, unfortunately for him/her . That person's praise however, for having accurately answered my question, will be great. I doubt anyone here knows, but perhaps with research they could figure it out. QUESTION: According to the World Book, the first paper money was invented by the Chinese in the 600s AD. By how much time is the World Book off? __________________ If the world has indeed, as I have said, been built of sorrow, it has been built by the hands of love, because in no other way could the soul of man, for whom the world was made, reach the full stature of its perfection. ~Oscar Wilde, written from prison Oscar Wilde's last words: "Either the wallpaper goes, or I do."

09-03-2005, 08:14 PM	#2
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	WARNING: I define "paper" just a little bit loosely. __________________ If the world has indeed, as I have said, been built of sorrow, it has been built by the hands of love, because in no other way could the soul of man, for whom the world was made, reach the full stature of its perfection. ~Oscar Wilde, written from prison Oscar Wilde's last words: "Either the wallpaper goes, or I do."

09-04-2005, 11:17 AM	#3
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	Your question has no answer. The WB has that figure from it's sources so we're supposed to presume YOU have the correct date from ????????, not likely. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

09-04-2005, 11:37 AM	#4
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Hm, judging from memory the oldest Chinese writing was at least a few millennia old. Paper money is of course a different matter so I consulted google, out of curiosity. Takin the hint about the "loosely termed paper" I came up with this: "China was the first country to use paper money. Ancient paper money can be traced back to the Pai-Lu P'i-pi (white deer-skin money) of Han Dynasty (140 BC) and the Fei-Chien (flying money) of Tang Dynasty (618 AD)." __________________ We are not things.

09-14-2005, 03:32 AM	#5
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Oi! I do want to know whether I got close! __________________ We are not things.

09-15-2005, 12:46 PM	#8
*Jonathan* Entmoot Attorney-General, Equilibrating the Scales of Justice, Administrator ♎ Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 3,891	Carthagian leather money - well you learn something new everyday. Good question Lief __________________ An unwritten post is a delightful universe of infinite possibilities. Set down one word, however, and it immediately becomes earthbound. Set down one sentence and it’s halfway to being just like every other bloody entry that’s ever been written. ☻

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