▁payment ▁of ▁" un um ▁pom um ▁cost ard " ▁( one ▁cost ard ▁apple ), ▁possibly ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁Pe pper c orn ▁payment . ▁ ▁The ▁cost ard ▁apple ▁remained ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁known ▁and ▁most ▁famous ▁of ▁British ▁apple ▁vari eties ▁for ▁several ▁hundred ▁years . ▁The ▁cost ard ▁and ▁p ear main ▁vari eties ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁ones ▁popular ly ▁grown ▁in ▁Britain ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁cost ard ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁long ▁fallen ▁out ▁of ▁favour ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁It ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁" not ▁known " ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁in ▁a ▁report ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁and ▁as ▁" now ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁ext inct " ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁Description ▁▁ ▁Nur ser yman ▁and ▁pom ologist ▁George ▁Lind ley ▁described ▁the ▁cost ard ▁as ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁the ▁C ats head ▁apple ▁but ▁this ▁has ▁been ▁disput ed . ▁The ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁botan ist ▁John ▁Park inson ▁described ▁two ▁vari eties ▁of ▁cost ard : ▁" gray " ▁and ▁" gre ene ". ▁He ▁described ▁the ▁" gray " ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁winter ▁apple , ▁wh it ish ▁in ▁colour ▁and ▁stated ▁the ▁" gre ene " ▁was ▁similar ▁apart ▁from ▁color ation ▁of ▁the ▁skin . ▁Leonard ▁Me ager ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 6 7 0 ▁work ▁the ▁Complete ▁English ▁Gard ener ▁stated ▁there ▁were ▁three ▁types : ▁white ,