Restaurant and tavern tokens served as surrogate 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 metropolitan and provincial restaurants, taverns, cafes, canteens, and buffets. The issuance of tokens was connected with the desire of factory owners, plant operators, and other enterprises to increase their profits. Workers and employees received part of their wages in tokens and spent them in shops owned by the companies. Restaurant and tavern tokens appeared in Russia in 1875 and became widespread in large industrial cities. So-called tavern marks performed a purely official, accounting function. They were intended for internal settlement between the establishment’s staff and the cash desk. Taverns marks, having turned into a fashion trend and a sign of prosperity and prestige among restaurant owners, became firmly embedded in Russian everyday life and gained universal распространение. Similar tokens were issued by restaurants, clubs, buffets, taverns, cafes, and other drinking establishments.
1 Kopeck.
T.P.O.O.K.T..
