countertally means A portion of a tally stick, broken off so that its authenticity can later be confirmed by aligning it with the other portion. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “countertally” is a great word
COUNTERTALLY — [Noun] A physical portion of a tally stick, broken off and kept as a token of a transaction whose authenticity can later be confirmed by realigning its fractured edge with the other half. From the prefix counter- (denoting something that corresponds or matches) + tally (a stick notched to record a debt or payment). Unlike a "tally" (which is the whole record or the act of scoring) or a "receipt" (a written acknowledgment), a countertally is the severed proof, the kept half of a pre-literate contract. It is the rough-hewn splinter of oak notched to mirror its counterpart, the tangible half of a promise kept in a drawer for decades, and the conclusive click of two fractured edges reuniting perfectly—a quiet testament that trust, once, was something you could hold in your hand and break apart.
Etymology
From counter- + tally.
noun
- A portion of a tally stick, broken off so that its authenticity can later be confirmed by aligning it with the other portion.