Was all currency in Ancient societies in physical form only? Before building a mega project, did an ancient person first need to amass a hoard of physical currency and pay up front, or could things constructed on speculation or credit?

by imnotgonnakillyou
sketchydavid

There is certainly a lot more to say about the ancient world at large, but u/Alkibiades415 has a good answer here about credit in ancient Rome.