Payment token of the Officers' Assembly of the 38th Tobolsk Infantry Regiment. Brass. Late 19th–early 20th centuries.
In various units of the Imperial Army and Navy, “officers' assemblies” were established, where special metal payment tokens were used. On October 12, 1874, the Emperor approved the regulations on the charter of officers' assemblies submitted by the Military Council; these assemblies were intended to achieve the following goals:
— to promote closer ties among members of the officers' community;
— to provide them with recreation in their time off duty;
— to encourage the development of military education among officers;
— to reduce officers' cost of living.
At officers' assemblies, to the extent possible, the following facilities were established to achieve these goals: a dining room, buffet, library, fencing and gymnasium hall, rooms for visitors, places for games (including military games), lectures, a theater hall (for performances), a dance hall, a shooting range, a bowling alley, etc. Under the approved Charter, games such as billiards, chess, and dominoes were permitted in officers' assemblies; card games were allowed by decision of the General Meeting of officers, but gambling games were prohibited.
The 1874 Charter of officers' assemblies introduced accounting tokens: “To facilitate officers' settlements with the buffet, the Assembly has its own tokens, priced (denominated) at the cost of a snack, a glass of tea, a dinner, and so forth; each member of the Officers' Assembly or visitor may buy them at once in whatever quantity is needed, but under no circumstances may they circulate outside the Assembly.” These payment tokens were coin-like pieces bearing the regiment cipher, or the full name of the officers' assembly.
The use of such means of payment was abolished on December 3, 1903, when a new “Regulation on the Officers' Assembly” was approved, stating: “All monetary settlements, both for items of consumption and for games, are made in cash before leaving the officers' assembly. Settlements in dining rooms and buffets are made upon receipt of the bill, and in rooms for visitors—at the end of the day. Members who do not pay upon presentation of bills are deprived of the right to further use the Assembly's premises.” Instead of payment tokens, “subscriptions” were introduced—annual (or one-time, for guests) tickets, which had to be purchased for cash in order to use the facilities of the officers' assembly.