Katarinahissen lift tokens, Stockholm (KF)

[Figleaf]

Good looking, precisely struck token with nice details and modernistic cypher. Intuition claims it's German, brain says it could be anything. Brassy bronze, 3.0 grams, 1.9 mm. At that size, my best guess is coffee machine token.

Peter

[malj1]

For the use of the hotel's panoramic elevator Gondolen Stockholm. a restaurant perched 33 metres above the water.



Between heaven and sea, with a breathtaking view over Lake Mälaren and the Saltsjön, floats Gondolen.

 

Gondolen . The restaurant features a large dining room with classy Swedish, and international, cuisine, and has a very popular cocktail lounge.
By far, this is Stockholm’s most spectacular views because it is suspended high above the entrance of Stockholm’s port. Address: Stadsgården 6 10465 Stockholm

[Figleaf]

Thank you, Malcolm. No doubt you found it and next time in Stockholm, this is on my list of places to visit . Any idea what the KF logo might refer to?

Peter

[FosseWay]

KF refers to det Kooperativa Förbundet, whose architectural office designed the building to which the restaurant is attached, known as KF-huset.

The complex was built at the same time as and in connection with Katarinahissen, the lift pictured. I wonder whether the token is a fare for the lift?

More (in Swedish) on Katarinahissen: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarinahissen

And KF-huset: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/KF-huset

[Figleaf]

Super, FosseWay. Thank you.

Peter

[malj1]

Managed to read that Wikipedia page in English, here is the first paragraph..

KF-house is an office complex at Stadsgården 2-12 in the Södermalm district of Stockholm . The buildings built as offices for the Cooperative Association in several stages. 1909-1912 by architect Gustaf Wickman , 1934-1936 by architects Eskil Sundahl , and Olaf Thunström and 1972-1974 by architect January Lunding . The facility also includes Katarinahissen built simultaneously with the office building from 1936.

Much older than I expected.

[Kushi]

Yes, this token was for paying the fare on the Katarina Hiss lift in Stockholm. Apparently out of use. Wikipedia says "Katarinahissen is a now disused public person lift at Slussen on Södermalm in Stockholm . The facility connects Katarinavägen at Slussen with Mosebacke Square . Current elevator inaugurated the 1936th The lift is closed since 2010 because of lack of reliability and construction."

Smith and Smith (1990) catalogue number Sweden 820 IR. There is also a much scarcer example with a coffee bean on the reverse, instead of the KF, Sweden 820 IS.

[malj1]

That is very interesting, it did not occur to me to look in that catalogue.

[FosseWay]

Here is the scarcer example that Kushi mentions, with the coffee bean. Bought a random lot of machine tokens a few weeks ago and it contained not one but two of these!

The text says "Cirkelkaffe is the high point". Cirkelkaffe was a popular brand of coffee in the 1950s, and was later subsumed into the Gevalia brand. It is a play on words: not only will coffee made with just that brand clearly be the high point of your day, but also you can enjoy it in the panoramic café at the top of the building...

[FosseWay]

By coincidence, I spotted this article in the Metro the other day, which says that Katarinahissen will be renovated and will reopen in 2019, having been closed for decades.

Moderator's note: apologies for acting ultra vires on someone else's board, but I was adding stuff to this thread and felt it really ought to be in the Transportation section. 

[malj1]

I now have one of the latter; KF, Sweden 820 IS. received today in a job lot.

[redwine]

Here's another different example 
18.5mm
3.13g

[malj1]

Here are my two, the first is a little scruffy, both 18.6mm and 3g.

[Figleaf]

It looks like the common one comes in bronze as well as in brass?

Peter

[malj1]

Yes it seems so if yours is indeed bronze as they often seem to have discoloured quickly.

BTW can you measure it again? evidently wrong at present.