E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Commodity of Brown Paper (A).
Rubbish served as make-weight; worthless stock; goods palmed off on the inexperienced. In most auctions the buyer of a lot has a fair share of the commodity of brown paper. Rubbish given to supplement a loan.
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“Here’s young Master Rash’! he’s in for a commodity of brown paper and old ginger, nine-score and seventeen pounds [i.e. £197, a part of the advance being old ginger and brown paper].”—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure, iv. 3.
