16 February 1659: the first British cheque
Cheques have been around for a long time. The Ancient Romans had them, and cheques survived in the Arab world for several hundred more years, saving traders (and camels) the bother of having to haul great loads of gold and silver across the hot desert sands. The Venetians and Florentines, ever busy in that part of the world, cottoned on to the system, and brought cheques back to Europe sometime around the 12th century. But it wasn't until the 17th century that the humble cheque as we know it today crossed the Channel and arrived in England (true, bills of exchange had existed in England for l...
Source: moneyweek.com