Yeah, and that’s why crypto is not catching up well.
Kind of a chicken and egg thing.
But in case of Gold and Silver, there had to be some initial driving factor for when it was first popularised (before people just started mentally defaulting to it).
Even though archaeology suggests that there were some civilisations did use notational currency in times before the relatively modern, well known history, enough of them did go with Gold. And since this was during the time when long distance trade was way slower, I won’t consider the case of some single power influencing everyone else without any other driving force behind Gold itself.
I think the fact that they’re pretty, nonreactive, rare, and were available very early is huge here. Gold is just there sometimes, little flakes and beads washed to rhe surface. It’s one of the only metals you find non metallurgical cultures using. From there it became valuable for jewelry and ritual objects because of its rarity and appearance, and once you have something durable, reworkable, and more desired than possessed it becomes a really easy thing to trade, especially when cross culturally valued.
Gold and silver caught on because they are rare for surface deposits making them rare, non reactive making them good for coins. Soft and easy to work with, again good for coins. But durable enough and most importantly heavy enough but not too heavy to be not easily lost. Again making them good for coins.
It literally just comes down to they were useful to make coins.
Look to South America where they would “waste” oodles of gold on religious rituals.
Practicality is first, foremost and the only reason something catches on and then STAYS popular.
Over time that practical reason can fall away and stop mattering but to get started you need practicality
Yeah, and that’s why crypto is not catching up well.
Kind of a chicken and egg thing.
But in case of Gold and Silver, there had to be some initial driving factor for when it was first popularised (before people just started mentally defaulting to it).
Even though archaeology suggests that there were some civilisations did use notational currency in times before the relatively modern, well known history, enough of them did go with Gold. And since this was during the time when long distance trade was way slower, I won’t consider the case of some single power influencing everyone else without any other driving force behind Gold itself.
I think the fact that they’re pretty, nonreactive, rare, and were available very early is huge here. Gold is just there sometimes, little flakes and beads washed to rhe surface. It’s one of the only metals you find non metallurgical cultures using. From there it became valuable for jewelry and ritual objects because of its rarity and appearance, and once you have something durable, reworkable, and more desired than possessed it becomes a really easy thing to trade, especially when cross culturally valued.
Gold and silver caught on because they are rare for surface deposits making them rare, non reactive making them good for coins. Soft and easy to work with, again good for coins. But durable enough and most importantly heavy enough but not too heavy to be not easily lost. Again making them good for coins.
It literally just comes down to they were useful to make coins.
Look to South America where they would “waste” oodles of gold on religious rituals.
Practicality is first, foremost and the only reason something catches on and then STAYS popular.
Over time that practical reason can fall away and stop mattering but to get started you need practicality