A book token is a type of gift voucher redeemable in hundreds of participating bookshops as an alternative to cash.
The term "book token" was first coined in the 1920s by Harold Raymond, an English publisher who noticed that for Christmas his friends had received a collective total of only three books out of 119 total gifts.
In the 1990s, "lick and stick" stamps were replaced with tokens in voucher form, to resemble British currency.
Gift givers can choose from different designs and receive promotions such as free books by Penguin when spending more than a certain amount.
National book voucher schemes are also run in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Japan.