Comments on: Russian beard tax token from the reign of Peter the Great

By: Micheal MacLean

Micheal MacLean — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:52:00 +0000

In Turkey’s defense, they have a long history of having outside cultural influence forced upon them by various rulers. Banning a hat (or two) may seem extreme (or silly) but it was all part of finding their own cultural identity.

By: Ito Kagehisa

Ito Kagehisa — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:34:00 +0000

As I understand it, at the time it was intentionally targeted at Jews, although it’s arguable if that is really what “Anti-semitic” means. Also confusing the issue, this was long before “anti semitic” was redefined to mean “anti Zionist”.

By: Bill Chen

Bill Chen — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:24:00 +0000

Most of the creative people are liberals. I remember when Avatar came out and some conservatives

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:29:00 +0000

I wondered to what extent it was consciously antisemitic, and for that matter what the exposure of Jews was to this issue in that era… up to 1725.

By: Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:18:00 +0000

I’m also thinking that this may have been an anti-Semitic move.

By: Ito Kagehisa

Ito Kagehisa — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:20:00 +0000

A couple of things (related to me decades ago by the most excellent Dr. Marvin Thomas) that people haven’t already hit:

Peter’s father taxed men without beards. This wasn’t a new tax, it was a total reversal of the basis of beard taxation.

Russian Jews, who were of course exempt from Christian prohibitions on usury (moneylending), were religiously required to wear facial hair. The beard tax was a significant income generator for Peter, who (like most European monarchs) owed significant amounts of money to Jewish moneylenders.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:13:00 +0000

The question is whether to go from an honor and responsibility model, to an economic model. The first works in a community, but if you decide that what you are really running is a market for day care services and not a community, then, of course, the incentives have to be economically motivating. The first can be more efficient, if you have buy in. Once you throw it away though, you have to commit to incentives that actually work.

By: Brad Zimmerman

Brad Zimmerman — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:30:00 +0000

This is why Russia has declined – everything is bass-ackwards.

Beards are normal. Shaving and its costly implements is unnatural. Plus, a nice beard always implies trustworthiness as we all know – yet another reason for us in the west to have them but a good reason why the Ruskies shouldn’t be allowed them.

Bearded Brad
Kraków, POLSKA

By: Nelson

Nelson — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:04:00 +0000

I stutter when I comment.

By: Dimmer

Dimmer — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I think you just said that…

By: acerplatanoides

acerplatanoides — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

In post-soviet america, hipster have token beard.

In pre-soviet russia, hipster have beard token

By: gypsyspacemuffin

gypsyspacemuffin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Well. Those who wore their facial hair ironically were considered half a century ahead of their time in terms of style, and permitted to keep their beards for free.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:59:00 +0000

beardtoken.com

By: Nelson

Nelson — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:58:00 +0000

You can get your own replicas at beardtoken.com.

By: Navin_Johnson

Navin_Johnson — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:25:00 +0000

A tax wasn’t necessary, you should have just had to prove that you’d earned your beard through hardship, payin’ dues, and badassery. All the soft 18th century Russian hipsters would have to cut them off or pay the highest fee..

By: Wisconsin Platt

Wisconsin Platt — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:12:00 +0000

I want one. Economics aside, I’d like my replication beard tax token.

By: Florian Bösch

Florian Bösch — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:05:00 +0000

I beard what you did there

By: Marja Erwin

Marja Erwin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:04:00 +0000

And cutting up one’s face with sharp blades is not a superfluous burden?

By: Trefunk

Trefunk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:48:00 +0000

That’s nice.
So even if the incentive doesn’t work, the “astronomical fees” should be enough to reimburse the extra hours.

By: Dan Hibiki

Dan Hibiki — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:34:00 +0000

the Tax is based on your profession. So the rich had to pay far more for the right to own a bears then the peasant.

That’s why Romney’s grand parents moved to Mexico.

By: Dan Hibiki

Dan Hibiki — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:32:00 +0000

yeah, every daycare in Ontario has late fees that are astronomical and it works like a charm.

By: Dan Hibiki

Dan Hibiki — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:27:00 +0000

yeah they just beat you to a pulp.

much more civilized.

By: Trefunk

Trefunk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:08:00 +0000

beardpalm.

By: Florian Bösch

Florian Bösch — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Look I’ve made it, I can afford to piss of the Zar and I can afford it too! Woot, I pimped my beard. I’m now gonna hang the token of wealth off it to show off. Would go grand with my spinning wheel rims on my lorry.

By: allotrope

allotrope — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Flaunting a beard either you marked as an opponent of the Tsar’s policies or hopelessly unfashionable conservative Orthodox believer (or both). Considering that Peter the Great sister’s had twice tried to launch a coup d’etat (her powerful supporters were stringed up outside her window), positioning yourself as an opponent could be both dangerous and definitely harmful for your career at the court. The price for a beard was higher than just the tax. It certainly didn’t make you popular.

By: Trefunk

Trefunk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:21:00 +0000

Yeah, Freakonomics cited that day-care study. But isn’t the solution simply to find the amount of shekels that’s worth more than an hour of shopping time?

In Russia the beard tax kind of worked (among other measures), resulting in a more “European”-looking court.
In England the beard tax had been introduced 160 years before by Henry VIII, who later changed his mind, grew a beard and ended the tax. It was reintroduced by his daughter, though.

By: Sam Pourasghar

Sam Pourasghar — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:04:00 +0000

The chin is indeed the window to the soul, so only the privelaged may afford to keep their black hearts hidden.

Hang on, what about stubble? And ridiculous moustaches? And what if you shaved but then drew a fake beard on with felt tips? And what of the homeless? They might not be able to afford beard tokens OR razors, their predicament plunging them further into impossible debt.

By: Boundegar

Boundegar — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:54:00 +0000

There once was a daycare center in Israel, and the owner grew tired of parents arriving late to pick up their little Israeli larvae. So she (or perhaps he) instituted a small fine for lateness. To everyone’s surprise, the frequency of lateness went way up. It turns out, parents saw it not as a penalty, but as a fee. If they could pay a few extra shekels and get an hour of free shopping time, it was a bargain.

I wonder if the beard tax could have had the same effect?

By: Trefunk

Trefunk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:52:00 +0000

http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BCQK7TuvUL0/Tv3oTC7WVcI/AAAAAAAABFs/5b_zs7y_Wpw/_a42d162820384832c68c51bfbb97f428%25255B3%25255D.jpg

By: Boundegar

Boundegar — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:51:00 +0000

No, I think even the women were required to shave their beards.