Description

This a unique piece, rarely seen offered. A finger held ticket punch which was used by railroad and trolley personnel to indicate what stops a passenger had been at in order to determine correct fares, etc. Reported to be c.1860s to 1870s by the seller I purchased it from who was an avid collector and well versed in this genre. Could also have possibly been used by some stage lines. Made of solid cast steel with a spring mechanism in the punch portion which is still fully functional and has a relatively strong return for it’s age. Looks like it was nickeled with about 70% left. Some surface rust and patina as seen in photos. Trains were the back bone of transportation of the CW era as evidenced by the constant sabotage done on the military supply routes during the conflict. They remained a mainstay for the civilian population moving between the cities of the North throughout the war. I can just see the fellow with the cap coming through the passenger cars on the steam trains of the day asking for tickets and punching them in turn with this neat little piece. A very collectible piece in several genre.