15 Years Ago, New York City's Subway Tokens Rode Off Into the Sunset

Fifteen years ago marked a turning point for New York City's transit system: April 12, 2003 was the last day tokens were sold. (May 4 was the last day they were accepted on the subway system; buses still accepted them — with an additional 50 cents — until the end of the year.) It took nine years, but the MTA had fully phased in the MetroCard and was eager to move on. Delivering all those tokens to stations was time consuming, and then they had to be retrieved by clerks, who emptied turnstiles with a bucket and a dustpan. Now, the MTA is in the process of replacing the MetroCard, and the agency hopes to start phasing in some sort of new fare payment system next year.

A Tom Otterness sculpture at the 14th St A/C/E subway station.

(Kate Hinds)

Can't get enough of tokens?  

• They weren't introduced into the transit system until 1953. Before that, the fare was first a nickel (1904 to 1948), then a dime (1948-1953). Raising the fare to 15 cents was the reason the token was instituted. 
• You can still find plenty of them for sale on eBay  
• WNYC's Morning Edition host, Richard Hake, reported a story about the token's swan song in 2003. Listen here.