tankard question from 7 yr old

[crisgal]

in order to explain what this site is about, i asked my little boy to ask any question, and said that hopefully someone will reply soon.
Here is his question:

'When we were in an old pub on holiday, I saw a silver tankard with a glass bottom. Why did they have glass bottoms in them?'

[DTCwordfan]

it was for the cavalier supporters of Charles I to see if there were any Cromwellian Roundheads coming into the Inns to look for them when they were seeking the Catholic supporters.....

[Canary42]

So drinkers could spot the "Kings shilling" and not be press-ganged into the navy.

See here for details

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_shilling

[crisgal]

i shall try and put that into 7yr old speak!
many thanks x

[Jan1957]

There are a couple of myths and the real reason on this site:-

http://www.beermaster...lass-bottom-beer-mugs

[Buenchico]

Canary42 obviously doesn't watch QI. If he/she did, Jan wouldn't have needed to point out that the 'King's shilling' story is a myth ;-)

[boxtops]

Is it? I always thought it was true until now.

[DTCwordfan]

more likely so drinkers could see the quality of their beer or cider (to see if it was clear).

Cider drinkers tended to use earthenware though as the cider would leach out the lead in pewter and send them crazy.....sorry you Zummersetters, now we know why!

[DrFilth]

we were taught that at school about the kings shilling.

[NOX]

I think just because something is posted on the internet somewhere certainly doesn't make it true, nor does it being on the very dubious QI.

[DrFilth]

if they were for cloudy beer they would have them all over the country not just at the city or towns with ports

[DTCwordfan]

Now I know why I needed a glass tankard thirty years ago to watch my cloudy Watneys run away down the porcelain or metal lav.....

[crisgal]

i trust QI more than wiki!

[jake-the-peg]

If the kings shilling story were true I would expect to have seen old tankards with glass bottoms or at least old tankards that would have had glass botoms.

I've never seen one has anyone else?

I've seen ones like this
http://www.pewter-ple...w-pewter-tankard.html

But the glass looks a bit too modern to me!

[boxtops]

Yes, we had a glass-bottomed pewter tankard.

[jake-the-peg]

No not just any one an old one at least 18th Century

and if so how was it dated?