Beard Tax Token
1705 ・ copper ・ 18th century ・ Moscow
A token certifying payment of the tax imposed on those who wore beards. The obverse shows a beard and moustache; the reverse bears the inscription 'ДЕНГИ ВЗЯТЫ' (Dengi vzyaty), meaning 'money taken'. By showing this token at the town gate, one could pass through with their beard. Although it is round, made of copper, and engraved with an image and text, it is not a coin. It is a piece that illustrates the discrepancy between form and function—a receipt struck in metal.