Restaurant and tavern tokens served as substitute means of payment in the numerous drinking establishments of major cities in pre-revolutionary Russia. Coin-shaped tokens were an attribute of everyday life in both metropolitan and provincial restaurants, taverns, cafés, canteens, and buffets. The issuance of tokens was connected with the desire of factory, plant, and workshop owners to increase their profits. Workers and employees received part of their wages in tokens and spent them in shops owned by the firms. Restaurant and tavern tokens appeared in Russia in 1875 and became widespread in major industrial cities. The so-called tavern checks performed a purely official, accounting function. They were intended for internal settlements between the restaurant staff and the cash desk. Having turned into a fashion trend and a sign of wealth and prestige for restaurant owners, tavern checks became firmly embedded in Russian everyday life and spread everywhere. Such tokens were issued by restaurants, clubs, buffets, taverns, cafés, and other drinking establishments.
Tavern token 1 Kopeck (figurative).
