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BUS UNIQUELY RARE ANTIQUE HAND CRANK OPEN-COIN-CHUTE BUS FAREBOX - $195 (Georgetown)
417 Ft Griffin Trail near Cool Spring Way/Palmetto
condition:
good
make / manufacturer:
Johnson Fare Box Company
model name / number:
Serial 70283 Patent 1909-1914
size / dimensions:
25" x 9.5" x 11"
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DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY:
VERY RARE ANTIQUE HAND CRANK OPEN-COIN-CHUTE TROLLEY FAREBOX
....Patent #: 1909/1912/1914
....Serial #: 70283
....Box #: 21
PRICE: $195
.
OVERVIEW
This is a rare {and "impossible" to find elsewhere}, authentic early 1900's-era hand crank open coin chute trolley/bus fare box
This specific unit represents the height of pre-war transit technology and served the city of Des Moines, Iowa, for several decades before being retired into official transit storage.
PROVENANCE
....Operational Period: Circa early to mid ~1900s-1950s.
....Used in active service by the Des Moines transit system during the transition from streetcars to electric trolley buses.
Institutional Storage:
....From its retirement until 1973, the unit was held in storage by the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
....Private Acquisition: Acquired directly from the Des Moines MTA in 1973 by the current seller {and Executive Director of MTA at the time of acquisition}.
....Private Collection: Held in a single-owner {former Executive Director of MTA} private collection from 1973 to the present day (over 50 years), ensuring a high level of preservation and documented history.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES
The Fare Box
....Manufacturer: Johnson Fare Box Company.
....Materials: Heavy-duty cast iron, steel, and thick tempered glass viewing windows.
....Viewing Gallery: Features a four-sided glass "trap" or observation vault where the operator could verify the coins or tokens before they were tripped into the lower cash chute where the tokens/coins were hand-retrieved by the trolley driver and transferred to a separate cash container.
....Mechanical Action: Hand-lever operated "trip" mechanism. Includes the original internal baffles designed to prevent "fishing" (theft of deposited fares).
....Coinage: Configured for standard US currency of the era (nickels, dimes, quarters) and specific Des Moines Transit Tokens.
....Construction: Heavy-gauge steel
....Finish: Finished in original period-correct industrial "Transit Black"
Physical Condition
....Authenticity: 100% original components. No modern reproductions or "marrying" of parts from different units.
....Patina: Exhibits honest wear consistent with decades of public service, followed by indoor preservation. The mechanical "ping" of the coin-drop remains crisp.
....Integrity: The glass viewing panels are free of major cracks or chips, a rarity for units of this age.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
As a relic of the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, this fare box is a physical link to the "Golden Age" of midwestern public transit. It survived the 1970s scrap drives that claimed most vintage transit equipment, making it a museum-grade specimen for collectors of Americana, transportation history, or Iowa heritage.