Hanshan on Nostr: Not even close. Most debts ("moneyness") were settled through credit. Reputation. ...

Not even close. Most debts ("moneyness") were settled through credit. Reputation.
That is the de facto monetary standard of the time. Ledgers and credit.
Poor people settled their debts in local fiat or other base metals.

Silver became ONE important settlement network for the wealthy and for a few hundred years as it was insanely profitable to mine it in the Americas and transport it to China. Many money systems had nothing to do with silver at all.

Only the most *desperate wishful thinking gets to "all money returns to one" from there 🙄