Ticket punch; Barker's ticket punch, machine serial number B5192, as used by tram & bus conductors, circa 1920

Barker's ticket punches were used by various trams and bus companies. This one is from West Ham Corporation Tramways. It would have been attached to a cord and worn around the conductor's neck. Tickets were validated by being inserted and then punched. The punched-out paper discs were collected and counted to check the type of fares taken. The display on the side indicated the number of punches made. Barker's was one of several firms that manufactured ticket punches although the leading supplier in the UK was the Bell Punch Company.