Restaurant and tavern tokens served as surrogate means of payment in the many drinking establishments of major cities in pre-revolutionary Russia. Coin-shaped tokens were a feature of everyday life in metropolitan and provincial restaurants, taverns, cafes, canteens, and snack bars. The issuance of tokens was linked to the desire of factory owners, plant owners, and other enterprises to increase their profits. Workers and employees received part of their wages in tokens and redeemed them for goods in shops owned by the companies. Restaurant and tavern tokens appeared in Russia in 1875 and became widespread in major industrial cities. The so-called tavern marks performed a purely internal, accounting function. They were intended for in-house settlement between the restaurant staff and the cashier. Having turned into a fashion trend and a sign of wealth and prestige for restaurant owners, tavern marks became firmly embedded in Russian everyday life and gained universal distribution. Similar tokens were issued by restaurants, clubs, snack bars, taverns, cafes, and other drinking establishments.
Tavern token 1 Kopeck.
