Rose Theatre money pot knop

Eleven ceramic money box tops, found during the excavations of the Rose theatre on Bankside. Parts of an estimated 162 money boxes were found at the Rose, which formed the third largest group of ceramic vessels found on the site. It is likely that these ceramic boxes were used to collect entrance fees from the audience. It cost one penny to enter the theatre, where you could stand in the yard to watch the performances. It cost a second penny if you wanted to sit in the galleries and a third penny to enter the exclusive seating areas with the best views and cushions. The money boxes were so cheap that they would have been smashed to get the collected money after the performances. Some of the money boxes may also have been used by people selling food and drink to the audience. The tops of these boxes are made from Surrey/Hampshire Border ware. The Museum of London has 203 medieval and post-medieval money boxes in its collection, including the 162 from the Rose theatre. This shows that money boxes were particularly associated with the Bankside playhouses.

The Rose was built in 1587 and was one of four purpose-built playhouses on the south bank of the Thames in London (the others were the Globe, the Hope and the Swan). It was demolished in 1606. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the Rose in 1988. Reference: Bowsher, J. & Miller, P. (2009), 'The Rose and the Globe - playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark. Excavations 1988-90’, MOLA Monograph 48.