Saturday, November 22, 2008

USA, Tokens for Bus Rides


Here are four nickel tokens once meant for bus rides on Gibson Lines and Mobile City Lines.

Nowadays I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens for bus rides is still relevant.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Canada, Tokens of Toronto Transit Commission


In the 1980s, commuters used tiny aluminium-alloyed tokens to ride the Toronto Transit.

Tiny tokens like these were cheap to produce but easy to misplace. If they were misplaced or lost and never to be found, I guess the Toronto Transit would consider that as service rendered and money paid for nothing.

I don't have any idea as to how long this kind of tokens had been used by commuters and how many of these tokens had been lost and never been found.

Nowadays I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens for train rides is still relevant.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Italy, Telephone Tokens


In the mid-1980s, public telephones in Rome, Italy required brass tokens for calling.

Nowadays many people around the world carry cellphones around, and I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens to make telephone calls is still relevant.

I guess these tokens are history and good mementos now.

USA, Philadelphia Mint Token


In the late 1980s, I'd received this 1987 mint set of coins from a friend living in the USA.

Until today, I am still trying to figure out the reason as to why the US Philadelphia Mint had packed a large token dated August 14, 1969 inside this pack of coins.

Monday, November 17, 2008

China, 1990 XI Asian Games Token


It's great to have a friendly seller, previously from Yahoo! Auctions Singapore, who was generous to give me this wonderful piece of bronze token commemorating the 1990 XI Asian Games held in Beijing, China.

The reverse of this token has a marvelous image of a galloping horse, 1990 being the Year of the Horse.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

China, (ND) Peking Hotel Token


It's great to have a friendly seller, previously from Yahoo! Auctions Singapore, who was generous to give me this large crown-size brass token.

This token was a souvenir from a hotel in Peking, China and its reverse has an impressive dragon-phoenix motif.