When the dime fare on the subways increased to fifteen cents in 1953, the New York City transit authority introduced brass tokens. In later years the design was often altered when fares were increased, to discourage hoarding. Production of tokens was discontinued around 1996 when Metrocards were introduced.

These tokens, from erotic arcades in midtown Manhattan, represent a dying form of entertainment in the Times Square area. Efforts during the 1980s and 1990s to redevelop the area forced the closure or move of erotic businesses to other areas of the city.

Created in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, Operation Sail has been producing tall ship events to commemorate significant times in American history. To commemorate the year 2000, Operation Sail produced OpSail 2000, which featured a total of eight participating ports on the East Coast of the U.S. OpSail visited New York Harbor the week of July fourth with events that included a parade of over 200 ships up the Hudson river. This coin represents types of souvenirs commemorating this event.

A note with this transportation token says it was used before the opening of the Suez Canal.