I forgotten that I'd read about that in the Codex Chuflii, which is attributed to Julie Caesar, even though it's in someone elses' handwriting and the style, grammar, and internal dating seems to show that it was written sometime after August 17, 1897. But that's all by the way.

What the Codex does state is that the Centurions and other NCOs in the Roman Army -- especially those making a career of it -- would collect those "chits" and use them as indication of rank. To the ordinary legionaire, these people were known as "chicken chits" -- an appellation has continued, almost unchanged, in armies down to this very day. Indeed, it approaches certainty that a soldier or sailor or marine or airman in some armed service somewhere is at this moment discussing "this chicken chit outfit" with a comrade in arms.