Why do Russians put change in a dish?

[Miriam Margala]

I'm not sure about this being unique - I've seen it in both Czech and
Slovak Reps, in Hungary and elsewhere in my travels through Europe. And
I never thought about it as that strange - they put your change on a
dish and by the time you get it from the dish, another customer is served.

Smith, Hunter wrote:

>This is, I think, a rather trivial but interesting question.
>
>Do any of the Russian anthropologists/sociologists or historians know why in most Russian stores and kiosks, the payment and, subsequently, the change is put on a small plate rather than being exchanged directly from the customer to the merchant's hands (or vice versa in the case of change)?
>
>No one I have asked so far has come up with a satisfactory answer. Am I wrong in thinking that this is a uniquely Russian or Slavic practice? I suspect it is and I suspect there is probably some interesting explanation for it.
>
>Hunter Smith
>
>
>

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