UK local transportation tokens

[malj1]

Nottingham's rates look incredibly low to me. The lowest I remember paying for a bus ride to school was 25 cent. At the time there were about ƒ8 to the pound, so I paid 1/32th pound or 7-1/2 penny, while a Nottingham pupil could do the same for a halfpenny.

Peter

The trip to my grandmother, about 2 miles, was 1½d for a child [late 1940's] once on my return trip I had lost a ½d so had to walk halfway home.... 

[malj1]

A very worthy wartime issue of concessionary tokens to air raid wardens for travel while on duty is this Nottingham 1½d token marked with the initials A.R.P.

[malj1]

The catalogue tells us only two values were issued although in various colours and shades.

NOTTINGHAM 560
NOTTINGHAM   CORPORATION   TRANSPORT (var. )      
AA   0   c   23   Sd   1½d   . A.R.P.   ( orange )    3.00
AB   0   C   23   Sd   1½d   . A.R.P.   (light green)   3.00
AC   0   C   23   Sd   1½d   . A.R.P.   (dark green)   3.00
AD   0   C   23   Sd   1½d   . Corporation Employee Only (yellow)   3.00
AE   0   C   23   Sd   1d.    .A.R.P   (orange) (shades) (var. )      .50
AF   0   C   23   Sd   1½d   . A.R.P .   (blue)      .50
AG   0   C   23   Sd   1½d   . A.R.P.   (dark blue)(shades )      .50
      (A.R.P. tokens   used    by Air Raid Precaution members during WWII)

[Figleaf]

Birmingham "transport" series, orange plastic, 22 mm. Different style figures.

The arms were redesigned a few times. This version was in use 1936-1977. The legend on the ribbon is FORWARD.

Added a penny red and a three halfpence British racing green.

The Birmingham tramway tokens are here.

Peter

[capnbirdseye]

Latest acquisition (thanks, andyg!): Birmingham. Dark green fiber, 1.1 grams, 2.2 mm.

The arms were redesigned a few times. This version was in use 1936-1977. The legend on the ribbon is FORWARD.

Peter

That's my local City where I was born, the arms used to be seen everywhere such as on the buses etc before they were privatised.
Vic

[zucan]

my father passed away last year he grew up in Glasgow in the 1930s and 40s

[Figleaf]

Welcome to WoC, zucan. My condolences with the loss of your father.

Thank you for the addition. See replies 15 to 20 for more info on the Glasgow public transportation system and its tokens.

Peter

[malj1]

A hoard of 7040 x Brighton Corporation Tramways post office staff travel tokens in a lock-box is on eBay at present.

Note the reverse legend... FOR USE ONLY BY POST OFFICE STAFF WHILE IN UNIFORM

Quote...
The original Brighton corporation tramways metal lockbox containing 122 rolls of travel tokens used by post office staff.
Contains 108 rolls of 60 x brass 1d tokens and 14 rolls of 40 x 1 1/2d metal tokens totalling 7040 tokens in all.
Each token is 22mm in diameter.

[Figleaf]

See also this thread.

He wants £14 900, which amounts to slightly over £2 a piece. Sounds OK, but you'd be lucky to sell 50 of each type and you won't be able to sell them at all at £149 each. Meanwhile, your average bank would offer at least £300 to 400 annually if you'd put the money on deposit with them.

Peter

[malj1]

At the bottom of the page he mentions he is looking, and hoping, for offers around £1000 which is a much more tempting price and thus bringing them down to 7p each!

[Figleaf]

If my assumption of a market for 50 sets is correct, the buyer would still have to sell for £10 a piece to get his money back, without any return or redemption of shipping cost. Since it will be known that the token is plentiful, that will be a hard task, but indeed, quite a bit more realistic.

Peter

[Figleaf]

Not a very informative token. Today, NCT stands for Newport Corporation Transport, but the logo is nowhere in sight. It looks like the logo of an undertaker anyway. Brass, 2.9 gram, 21.1 mm.

Peter

[africancoins]

The NCT token is Newport City Transport - these were first used in 1973.....

Info from the relevant Smith Catalogue.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[Figleaf]

Glasgow! 1.0 grams, 21.3 mm, chocolate brown fiber (colour changed by increasing contrast).

Halfpenny blue-green (Glasgow Tramways) added.
2 stage bright red (Glasgow Tramways) added.

Peter

[Figleaf]

Wallasey, series of four, about 1 gram, 25.2 mm. Wallasey is opposite Liverpool on the Mersey.

Added a green-blue penny (note the placement of the dot) and a blue tuppence. I also have a purple 1-½ pence. It may be the original colour of the 1-½ pence black (Voice calls it grey,) though.

Peter