The use of tokens in the early Mespoptamian region as a precussor to the written symbol is a plausible and interesting idea.
It makes the transition from speech to writing easier to find. For example, the early cave paintings found in France told us that our prehistorical brothers and sisters attempted to record events in their lives. There was little developed after that in that region in terms of writing.
In the Middle East, the use of tokens as an economic tool gives it a very practical existence. First, these tokens were needed to help understand their economic situation. Of course, carrying around a bag full of tokens could lead to problems so why not translate those pieces of clay and stone into symbols that looked like them, then inscribe them onto tablets?
Writing is born as an economic tool.
However, tokens were also found in some burial locations. Does this change anything to do with the economic theory? No. Throughout history, individuals are buried with certain things that describe them in this life. A weathly shepherd may be buried with some tokens representing the success he had with raising animals. Likewise, sacrifice is sometihng that is common throughout history and prehistory. These tokens may be represented of the animals that were sacrificed on the deceased person’s behalf.
The use of tokens to describe what was sacrificed for someone or something could be seen as the first “Spiritual Bouquet”, using Catholic terminology..