35.5 mm, 4.7 g, aluminum circular inscription INSTITUTUL · POLITEHNIC ·, centered, place on two rows, IPI and IASI	inscription CANTINA IPI, cafeteria table, water carafe, glass, dish, fork, knife and spoon

The token was issued by the Polytechnic Institute of Iaşi, presently called the Technical University Gheorghe Asachi.

The tokens were used at the cafeteria of the Student Complex Tudor Vladimirescu before the 1989 revolution as warrant for the set of spoon, fork and knife. The token was handed in before leaving with the tray and received back after having the meal, once the precious eating tools returned. One not holding a token could eventually leave some valuable as his watch or even his ID card. Such a token was worth 25 lei.

A few year after the revolution the cafeteria was shut. Today the former cafeteria hosts today the Iulius Mall.

In November 1988 I have been on duty for a week at the cafeteria. The corvee day started at dawn before 6 and ended late at around 10 in the night. Each group of students was appointed for a week every year at the cafeteria. Several squads were made up: kitchen, mess hall, dishes 1 and 2 (miserable "deba 1"!) and others. The worst chore was doing the dishes, so no wonder that when the day was over, after thousands of dishes scraped of food, some turned the light off and threw some against the wall, shrieking with joy. So redeeming was it to hear the ceramic torn asunder!