Pub Tokens and Memorabilia

Pub Tokens and Memorabilia

In the UK, during the 17th to 20th centuries, Public Houses and Inns sometimes issued tokens which could be used in payment for future drinks. These tokens were sometimes used in pubs or inns where customers were locals and knew each other so there was every chance they would be a regular at the pub. They were also used in hotels that held a drink license. When buying a round of drinks for friends, the landlord would give a token to those customers already having a drink in doing this the landlord would collect the full sum from the round-buyer.

The landlord would collect the cost of the round immediately, and the drinkers would have a token for later use. As the token cost less to produce than the value of the drink, there was a significant profit to the landlord. Sometimes, drinkers would take the token home, and forget to bring them back, so the landlord would have been paid for the drink without supplying it to the customer until the token was redeemed at the pub. This has been noted as the reason why landlords encouraged the use of these type of tokens, and they were found in virtually every drinking establishment in Bridgend town and the surrounding area.

Tokens were also used as change, where the price of the drink was odd.

The early tokens were usually made of Brass or Aluminium and would have the name or initials of the pub on them, so that they could not be used anywhere else. Often, they had the landlord's name on them as well. This ensured that, when the pub changed hands, the new landlord would not have to honour the old tokens.

The first photos show a pub token from the Nolton castle public house which was located at 52 Nolton street on the south side of Bridgend town, the second token shows a token from the Spirit Vaults public house, locally known as just the Vaults at 22 Queen street at the bottom of the Rhiw, the street photo below, shows the Vaults pub just before its demolition in the 1960`s. ( Photo 1 ) Nolton Castle.

Both the tokens have the name of the public house on the front and on the revere side a 3D

( 3p old pence ) in a circle and wreath surround, made from Brass, 23.6 mm in size with a milled edge. .

( Photo 2 ) The reverse side of both of the tokens. ( Photo 3 ) Spirits Vaults

The tokens were not exclusively used in public house`s, they were also widely available throughout the retail trade and other types of work industry.

Many examples of tokens can be found in working-mans clubs and retail shops, the co-op stores are a good example of the use of milk tokens, where a milk tokens was worth a full pint of milk, the mining industry in south wales made good use of them in many ways from counting the tokens given to the miners as they arrived up from pit bottom to the surface where the tokens would be tally`d to make sure that all the miners on that shift had returned to the mine surface.

The images below show many different examples of tokens that were in everyday use

( Photo 4 ) A co-op, one pint milk token. The Co-operative Group. The Group's roots were established in 1844.

( Photo 5 ) Pontycymmer co-op did not just supply milk to their customers, they also sold coal by the Cwt, A hundredweight (cwt) is a unit of measurement used in certain commodities trading contracts. Its usage has gradually declined in favor of contract specifications in pounds or kilograms.

( Photo 6 ) . A selection of Ogmore Valley Tokens. the letters O.V.N.P. spell out as ( The Ogmore Valley Non-political club ), the o.v.n.p. was a working-mans club where any discussions on politics was banned.

( Photo 7 ) . A token from the FFaldau hotel, with a misspelling of Pontycymmer.

There are still pub tokens available in 2021, they now take the shape of a modern plastic credit card and not a round brass coin.

The cards come in denominations of £5, £10, £20, the cards are regarded as pub tokens, but in reality they are more suited to the description of gift cards.

these type of tokens/gift cards can be used in all the branded chains of public houses and restaurants throughout the U.K.

( Photo 8 ) . Examples of the modern credit card type token/gift cards.

The photo below shows an example of pub memorabilia that was common place during the 20th century, the photo shows a hip flask with the name of the owner and the public house he frequented, the Joiners arms Nolton street Bridgend.

( Photo 9 ) . Hip flask Joiners arms.