TheNEW YORK DIVISION BULLETIN - MAY, 2003 Bulletin New York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Association Vol. 46, No. 5 May, 2003 The Bulletin FAREWELL TO AN OLD FRIEND Published by the New by John M. Coffee York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Subway tokens are no longer sold for use that, once again, it was given to three differ- Association, in New York City subways as of April 13, and ent firms to do the striking: Osborne Coinage Incorporated, PO Box 3001, New York, New they will become null and void at the end of of Cincinnati, Scovill of Waterbury, and Meyer York 10008-3001. the year. This marks the end of an era that & Wenthe of Chicago. The Transit Authority actually began back in 1928 when the Inter- in choosing a 16mm token did not realize it borough Rapid Transit Company ordered was using the commonest size token in use For general inquiries, 6,000,000 22mm nickel tokens with “IRT” on in the United States. Shortly after the tokens contact us at a round ball in the center. As the order was went into use, the NYCTA was inundated
[email protected]. so large, three different firms manufactured with tokens issued by other transit systems, Editorial Staff: the tokens: 2,000,000 each by Meyer & Wen- nearly all of which, sold for less than 15 the of Chicago, Scovill of Waterbury, and cents. At the time I received a frantic plea Editor-in-Chief: Johnson Fare Box Company of Chicago. from the NYCTA for a copy of our transporta- Bernard Linder These were made for a fare increase to 7¢, tion checklist, so that they could figure out News Editor: which never materialized.