Bustokens Benefiting the Sick

Bus tokens that benefited the sick Emergency small change tokens of Palestine and Israel by Tony James MONGST its many exhibits, the Bank History of Modern Israel’s Money 1917 - Aof Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a 1970 , Sylvia Haffner gives a listing of small display panel devoted to non-government change tokens issued by transportation issues of currency entitled “Money substi - companies during this period, as do Albert tutes on public transport.” The labeling Pick and Carl Siemsen in their catalogue states that during the 1940s and 1950s, of Emergency Money of WWII. This article transportation companies issued chits or is a combined listing with other details that tokens for a wide range of purposes, from I have researched. There is also an Israeli small change to purchases on board ship. stamp catalogue that includes a listing of Bus drivers gave change in the form of these coupons, and while I have seen a Magen David Adom (Jewish Red Cross) copy, frustratingly I have been unable to labels which if lost or destroyed by the obtain it. passenger became a donation. The concept was in line with the issue of • Bath-Galim Cooperative, Ltd. Haifa, other private chits and tokens during the issued 1 and 2 Mils tokens in 1942. The Mandate period to overcome the lack of cardboard coupons have the name of the small change at that time. The shortage of company in Hebrew and English and de - coinage during the Second World War was tails of the value in Hebrew, Arabic and a phenomenon that caused problems for English with the serial number on the back. many countries due to the increased cost of The cooperative continued to issue tokens Dan Bus Company Red star with shield filling living, hoarding of both base and precious during the 1953 period of shortage of centre of design.The front states it is good for metals and the increased demand occa s- change, before merging to form the Hever travel in the services of Dan ioned by visiting and occupying troops of all Cooperative Society. form the present- day bus company that is nations. centred in Tel Aviv and operates primarily Interestingly, the effects of troops stat- * Carmel Station Bus Co. Ltd, Haifa. This in the north of Israel. ioned in Palestine during WWII often in - company issued 1 and 2 Mils denomination clude tickets kept as mementos of their tokens. It was one of the few Arab bus lines * Darom Yehuda Ltd, Tel Aviv and vicinity. time in that country. There were however, in Palestine under the British Mandate One of the companies (others being Shahar other coupons that came into use during and was discontinued in 1948 after the and Eshed) that merged in 1951 to create the war period and these served to alleviate State of Israel was declared. The tokens the Egged Company. This bus company the shortage of coinage. with the numerals and text in Arabic and serviced southern Israel and as previously English show the company with a picture mentioned issued an aluminium 2 prutot Palestine Mandate period 1942 -1948 of a sun rising from behind a hill. token dated 1950 in Hebrew. The second At the beginning of the Second World issue consisted of round cardboard tokens War, prices started to increase in Palestine. * Dan Bus Company – Tel Aviv 1953. The with a steering wheel superimposed on the By 1942 bus cooperatives saw the need for date of issue belies the origins of the Dan outline of a leaf. The two denominations emergency paper chits and throughout the Bus Company. The company has its roots are tokens for 1 pruta and 2 prutot tokens country emergency paper issues started to in 1908 with a carriage service from Jaffa have a centre hole and serial number on appear. While the tokens were predominan- to Petach Tikva under the approval of the the back. tly made of paper and cardboard, there was Turkish governor of Jaffa. The fleet of buses one token struck in aluminium for 2 prutot. grew with amalgamation of the Hamavir Issued by the Darom Yehudah-Tel Aviv in and Galei Aviv organisations in 1928 and 1950, it has a steering wheel design over the a new headquarters in 1934. The Dan Coop- outline of a leaf. erative was founded in 1945 when Hamavir In the second edition of her book The and the Ihud-Regev Union combined to Darom Yehudah- Tel Aviv 20 Mils- a souvenir by an Aussie digger complete with spelling error! 1 Pruta in red 2 Prutot in blue Hamaavir Coop 1942 1 Mil * Hamaavir Cooperative Society Tel Aviv. This cooperative issued tokens under this name until 1950, even though it had joined with Ihud Regev Ltd to form the Dan Bus Company in 1945. The tokens were first issued on pink stock card and punched. However the holes punched were found to shorten the life of the token and the prac - tice was discontinued. Both of these vari - eties are rare. Two denominations of 1 and 2 Mils are known and both feature a picture of a bus over a circle with the name of the Front and Back of 3 different stock card) colours. cooperative in Hebrew and English. The Hamkasher Magen David Adom – Jerusalem 3rd Issue 5 Prutot denomination is in Arabic and English on each side of the coupon. * Hever Cooperative Society, Ltd, Haifa, rare. The catalogue also shows a unique 1942. This Haifa-based company issued specimen of a 5 Mils Jaffa Bus Company * Hamkasher Jerusalem – 1942. This bus coupons for 1 & 2 Mils. The text is in token which has three lines of Arabic text line is now combined with the Egged Bus He brew and English with the designation with a handstamp. The back shows a notat- Company. Hamkasher issued tokens in both that the value is for either a 1 or 2 mils fare ion in lower case Hebrew text. and the picture shows a bus and a sign - 1 and 2 Mils denominations, printed in * Mishmar Hamifratz Ltd, Haifa. This both Hebrew and English on square card. post with Hever on it in Hebrew. A 10 Mils ticket with a similar design and the words company was also a transportation com - The circular design states in Hebrew and pany for building sand. The token has English the name of the bus line as well as ‘Keep for control’ is considered to be a bus ticket and not an emergency token, green-black print and the shield in red- the city, Jerusalem. The 1 mil is in black brown. The front has text entirely in print on white, green, beige, purple or pink although it has been included for reference in Haffner’s catalogue. He brew, which says “Mishmar Hamifratz card and the 2 mils is red print on white Ltd / Company Sand of the Sea” 2 Mils card. A later, second issue, made after over the shield of the company and below 1948, has the design and words “Shield of * Ihud-Regev Ltd (Ichud) Bus Company Tel Aviv. Ihud and Regev joined to form “Travel Ticket for 2 MIL” with the numeral Jerusalem” in Hebrew it was a 5 prutot 2. The back says Mishmar Hamifratz Ltd denomination, with control numbers and the Ihud-Regev bus company before com - bining with the Hamaavir Cooperative / Fare Ticket for two Mils in English and has below the design the text “In the Service of the serial number below. Hamkasher” in Hebrew. Society in 1945 to form the Dan Bus Com - The third issue by Hamkasher is the pany. The present bus company serves the * Mount Carmel & Ahuza Bus Service, usual Magen David Adom of 1953 with a 5 cities of Petach Tikvah, Ramat Gan and Tel Haifa. Today this is a taxi and sherut prutot denomination. There are five differ- Aviv. The two denominations of 2 and 3 (multiple hire fixed route taxi) service in ent card stock colours and each type main - Mils are in Hebrew and English, with sev - the Carmel and Ahuza areas of Haifa. The tains the designation ”In the Services of eral varieties for each denomination tokens in Hebrew and English state “Mt. Hamkasher”, and the Star of David with Carmel & Ahuza Bus Service” and are “Magen David Adom Jerusalem” in Hebrew “Good For 2 Mil” as a denomination. The across the top. The back of each token has serial number on the back is in English. the serial number in English and the * Shahar, Haifa 1949. This issue is for a Hebrew text which states that “The value union of all transportation lines in Haifa of a lost token shall be donated to Magen during 1949. In 1951 the company merged David Adom Jerusalem”. with Egged as did the southern Drom Yehuda bus company. The first issue is a Ihud-Regev Ltd (Ichud) Bus Company round cardboard token with a centre hole Tel Aviv. Red 3 mils. Blue 2 mils issued in 1 pruta, 2 prutot and 5 prutot .*Jaffa Bus Company, Jaffa. 1942. The Jaffa denominations. The front in Hebrew text Bus Company Ltd was one of two Arab- states Travel Ticket/ Shahar then the owned bus lines during the period of issue amount in English numerals and Hebrew of these small change tokens. The other abbreviation for prutot, Below the centre Arab line was the Carmel Station Bus hole is the company seal with the name Company, Ltd. Haifa. The Jaffa coupons Shahar. The back has the serial number in show a steering wheel with Arabic text English. above and the words Jaffa Bus Co Ltd.

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