Artifact Number: CGL1-2


The corner of a New York City MTA Metrocard, excavated from the first level of the opened unit, is one of the most precisely datable objects from the excavation. When the Metrocard was first introduced at select stations in 1994, replacing the older token system, it had a blue background and yellow-gold lettering. While the first subway riders paid with ordinary coins, a system of tokens was standardized in 1953 after the NYCTA consolidated subway networks from all boroughs. These older Metrocards were only in circulation for about three years, from 1994-1997. In 1997, when the transition from token to card was complete at every station, they were replaced by the ubiquitous gold Metrocards we see today. This torn corner is a window into a period of transition that echoes forward to today, as the MTA intends to do away with Metrocards entirely by 2023, replacing them with a digital tap-and-go system from a debit card or cell phone.
-- Jane Poss