How to avoid a crimp
To escape from a press gang was quite an achievement and the danger of falling into the clutches of the navy by other means was high. As I have already reported, there were also crimps (recruiters) who tried to secretly slip their victim the so-called King's Shilling. Preferably via a tankard of ale, a coin was then secretly placed there and as soon as the first sip was taken, it was assumed that he accepted it and was now a member of the navy without knowing and want it.
Needless to say this didn’t set too well with publicans, who were less than thrilled at having their best customers carted halfway around the world to serve in the good king’s navy. As such, many supplied patrons with glass bottomed tankards thus enabling their more cautious drinkers a chance to peer into its depths to ensure no unwanted surprises awaited them. Glass bottomed mugs also allowed a drinker to keep an eye on cutpurses or other such scallywags at the bar while hoisting a brew, which is said to have given rise to the phrase "here's looking at you."
A King’s Shilling mug replica (x)
Whether these were all reasons for the introduction of the glass bottom or whether it was in fact primarily used to keep the Navy out of the way remains to be seen, but is often regarded as a legend. We do know, however, that these mugs have actually been around since the 1790s. And they probably saved one or the other from a life at sea or the army.
