Restaurant and tavern tokens served as surrogate means of payment in the many drinking establishments of major cities in pre-revolutionary Russia. Coin-like tokens were an attribute of everyday life in metropolitan and provincial restaurants, taverns, cafes, canteens, and buffet counters. The issuance of tokens was linked to the desire of factory owners, plant operators, and industrial proprietors to increase their profits. Workers and employees received part of their wages in tokens and redeemed them for goods in shops owned by the firms. Restaurant and tavern tokens appeared in Russia in 1875 and became widespread in major industrial cities. So-called tavern checks had a purely service, accounting function. They were intended for internal settlement between the establishment’s staff and the cashier. Having turned into a fashion trend and a marker of prosperity and prestige for restaurant proprietors, tavern checks became firmly embedded in everyday Russian life and spread everywhere. Such tokens were issued by restaurants, clubs, buffet counters, taverns, cafes, and other drinking establishments.
Tavern token 1 Kopeck (figurative).
