A
tally (or
tally stick) was an ancient memory aid device used to record and document numbers, quantities, or even messages. Tally sticks first appear as animal bones carved with notches, in the
Upper Paleolithic; a notable example is the
Ishango Bone. Historical reference is made by
Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) about the best wood to use for tallies, and by
Marco Polo (1254–1324) who mentions the use of the tally in China. Tallies have been used for numerous purposes such as messaging and scheduling, and especially in financial and legal transactions, to the point of being
currency.