Who was the first lord/king/whatever to declare a real physical hat (or other object) as a symbol of their rule? Is bestowing value on these kinds of things a tradition that predates recorded history?
Crowns have been around since before the invention of writing. In predynastic Egypt (31st century BC), before it was unified, when it was still divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, each kingdom had a crown. The king who united them, known as Narmer, united the features of the two crowns and wore the United Crown for the united Upper and Lower kingdoms of Egypt. The Narmer Palette depicts the first Pharaoh of the united Kingdoms in the typical crowns of the two lands. The two crowns were united into a single form, with the white and red distinctive features.
