Comments on: Tokens 1_18 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/10/19/bishopsgate-tavern-tokens/tokens-1_18/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sat, 26 Mar 2022 08:52:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Jennifer Blain https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/10/19/bishopsgate-tavern-tokens/tokens-1_18/#comment-1454473 Sat, 26 Mar 2022 08:52:40 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Tokens-1_18.jpg#comment-1454473 If these few tokens come from so many pubs, it suggests to me that they might have been widespread across the whole of London. Maybe there was a shortage of ‘small change’ in the 17th century – these token have dates from the times of Charles I, the Commonwealth and Charles II.

When I was in Italy in the 1960s before decimalisation, there was constant inflation. Besides using large piles of Lira notes in huge denominations for every transaction there were far too few coins issued. Shops would give out a couple of boiled sweets or a little handwritten note instead.

I just wonder if these locally issued tokens are an example of some similar wider financial problem? They would, of course, encourage the drinker to return to the same pub to get his next drink at a bargain price.

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