Huge Transit Token Collection Opens a Unique Window into Both Commercial Art and History

We’ve got something pretty special in the sale this month -- a collection of nearly 7,000 transit tokens , the life’s work of collector W.G. Garrison. In a world dominated by digital transactions and touchless payments, the humble transit token stands as a relic from a bygone era—a physical piece of history tucked in wallets and jingling in the pockets of commuters.

For collectors, I think the appeal goes beyond nostalgia. These small discs have stories to tell, tracing back to the early days of bustling city life, when tokens represented more than just fare—they were gateways to independence, routine, and adventure. Plus, each token has a design that sets it apart from others to help identify its distinctive purpose.

Garrison used the Atwood-Coffee Catalogue?of United States and Canadian Transportation Tokens to guide his collecting, and his records show he accumulated almost 48% of the catalogue listings. He regularly placed ads in the back of “The Fare Box”, the premier monthly newsletter for token collectors, and that’s how he got many of the pieces in his collection. ?

When the collection first arrived at the auction house, we thought we’d likely break it up into multiple lots, given the sheer size of it. But once we saw how meticulously organized it was by state and Atwood-Coffee catalogue numbers, we felt it was better to keep the collection together. View the entire November 10th auction catalog and register to bid.

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