Cash. Carry cash and be ready to use it.
Some of that cash should be in the form of a roll of quarters too. Useful for vending machines.
I think it wouldn't harm, to decipher the "ready to use it" part once again. Don't keep it all in your wallet. In a large crowded city pick-pocketing skills are mastered to almost a magician's level.
A traveling friend of mine relies on concealed travel wallets (IWB, and neck) and/or money belts for pickpocket prone areas. His pocket carry cash gets tucked behind something else (notepad or cell phone) to break up the outline.
My $.02 is carry a cross body satchel or sling bag that can be pulled around your front in crowds. Backpacks are, as I can unfortunately attest to, very easy to pickpocket.
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