General Knowledge · 1

Which everyday beverage was once so valuable in 17th century Europe that it was sometimes used as currency?

Answer

Tea

Tea was extraordinarily expensive when first imported to Europe from China in the 1600s. In some regions, compressed tea bricks served as currency, and the drink was kept in locked tea caddies to prevent theft.

💡 Did you know?

Tea was so precious in colonial America that tea leaves were often reused multiple times by different families.

Other options people guess

  • Coffee
  • Chocolate
  • Wine

Topics

  • replacement-bank
  • legacy-cleanup

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