Traditional 3-Piece Drink Coasters

Absinthe bistro saucers served a dual purpose in the pre-ban absinthe era. Besides serving as a coaster, they also functioned to indicate the price of absinthe being served. The price printed onto the bottom or side of the saucer corresponded with a color painted on the outside rim. This rim color acted as a code which was used to tell the waiter how much to charge the customer by reading the different saucer colors when stacked. For instance, if three green rimmed saucers (as shown above) were stacked, the waiter would know to charge the customer 6.75 French francs. When paying the bill, the money was generally left inside the coaster. This saucer features a green hand-painted rim with a gold accent line and green and gold pinwheel lines. The franc mark is printed into the porcelain before the saucer is glazed and fired, ensuring that the mark will not fade. Exact reproduction. High quality porcelain. Hand painted rim. Paint and text are fired into the saucer. Colors will not fade.