Church Payer Candle Token

Product Description

The Ottoman Empire was in such shambles by the end of the 19th century that currency became scarce. In 1884 in the Cappadocian town of Kelveri, St. Gregory Theologus Church issued tokens for its Greek Orthodox parishioners so they could continue the practice of lighting prayer candles. These thin bracteate tokens were valued at 5 paras – the price of a candle – demonstrating the power of faith and community in troubling times. Size and shape may vary.