This is spooky because I was thinking about the same thing in a different context with regard to Lake Town and the claim on the dragon gold to pay for the repairs. This and the fact of the woodelves trade with the Lakemen which seems to involve paying for goods rather than barter implies some form of currency must have been in operation. It was certainly based on the value of the metal rather than the sophisitcated form of credit notes we use. Interestingly it seem to be the less sophisticated cultures (woodelves, dale and breemen and hobbits who have the more sophisticated economies). The highelves and dunedain seem more feudal -that probably isn't the right term but I am sure there is an economist/ social-historian amongst the downers who can explainit properly
