3: NYC Subway Tokens

Photo by Jeff Rothstein

With the introduction of the new contactless payment system, the MTA has had several major changes in the past few decades. However, before all of the new technological advancements, the subway was accessed via the purchase of subway tokens, instead of MetroCards. Since their discontinuation in 2003, tokens have become artifacts of New York’s history and their value has significantly increased from their original five cents.

In this photograph by Rothstein, a man is dressed in a subway token costume in 1983 for a MTA promotional event. Since the introduction of the MetroCard, these tokens has vanished—and soon, the same may be said for the MetroCard.