Penny lick

A penny lick was a small glass for serving ice cream from the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Street vendors would sell the contents of the glass for one penny. The glass was usually made with a thick glass base, and a shallow depression on top. When the ice cream was placed in the depression, refraction would make the whole glass appear to be full of ice cream. Disappointment would ensue for the hungry customer, as the glass contained little more than a single lick.

The penny lick was popular during the nineteenth century, but questions of hygiene led Italo Marchioni to introduce a pastry cup in New York in 1896, which he patented in 1903. The waffle ice cream cone rapidly became popular soon afterwards, displacing the penny lick.

References

* [http://www.zingersicecream.com/history.htm A Brief History Of Ice Cream ]
* [http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream_glasses.htm Ice cream glasses]