North Eastern Gas Board
In 1948 Clement Attlee's Labour government nationalised the gas industry with the Gas Act 1948. The act merged gas producers into twelve area gas boards. The North-Eastern gas board covered the East Riding of Yorkshire and parts of the North and West Ridings of Yorkshire (including York). From 1972, the UK gas industry was again restructured with the Gas Act 1972. The act merged all the area boards and created the British Gas Corporation.
The tokens were introduced in about 1956 for use by North East Gas Board employees in the Wakefield area for travel to and from work. They may have been used by Leeds Corporation Gas Department also. The values 1½d, 2½d and 3½d fell into disuse by 1970, after demonetisation of the ½d the previous year. The other values continued in use until decimalisation in February 1971, when they were replaced by a set with decimal denominations. These remained in use until about 1987.
The pre-decimal tokens were injection moulded by Crystalate of Tonbridge, but there are considerable differences in reverse dies in all values (as well as colour/shade variations in the 1d, I½d, 2d, 2½d and 3½d values). It is likely that later batches were made by Woollen of Sheffield. The decimal tokens were injection moulded by Grant of Sheffield and had a slightly modified "time legend": N.E.G.B. "VALID ONLY 8A.M. TO 12 NOON 1P.M. TO 5P.M."
The tokens were accepted on West Riding Automobile Co. and Yorkshire W.D. Transport Co. Ltd. services.