Ticket puncher

It appears to be a ticket punch. I looked it up on eBay, and saw about 60 of them. It looks like yours may be missing a "return" spring or something. Does yours re-open after you "punch"?

Definitely a ticket/transfer puncher.  I have few of them from the streetcar days here in Baltimore.  The paper boy also had one.  When he'd come to your house weekly to collect, he'd punch your ticket as proof that you paid.

Agreed, i.e. a ticket punch. I remember, back in my high school railfanning days, the various Engineers and Conductors I befriended, on my hometown Lackawanna RR, explained that each Conductor and Trainman in passenger service had their own unique ticket punch. Thus, there were many hundreds of unique patterns of the hole, which indicated exactly who "punched the ticket". 

Since these are not particularly rare, I don't think you'd do any damage by giving it a gentle cleaning.

Thanks for the responses so far.

I thought it might be missing some sort of spring for the return since the ones I looked at online had either had a spring mounted from one side towards the inside somehow,or one that went from side to side.

Never thought about the paperboy punchers.

What's everyone's thoughts on how I should clean it ? Is electrolysis to harsh of a cleaning method for it ?     

What's it made out of? Sort of looks like brass in some photos. 

I'm not sure how electrolysis cleaning works.

It is a ticket punch could be a railroad, paper boy punch or some sort of event punch. Kept mine along with other items when retired.

smd4 posted:

What's it made out of? Sort of looks like brass in some photos. 

I'm not sure how electrolysis cleaning works.

Looks like just plain ordinal run of the mill soft steel, not tin or brass...I mostly sure .

The simple tank I use is a plastic tote , with  rods wired to bolts attached to the sides wired in a relay, energized by a battery charger, add water and Armor Hammer Super Soda (not baking soda) as the activating agent because it's got sodium carbonate  .

Usually takes off most soft rust and leaves paint (usually). Really does great on soft and some hard metals.

It really gets between cracks and seams.

I have acquired several RR conductor punches over the years including one with a recepticle for the punched out pieces! SORRY, no photo, as it is at my North Carolina depot home. All of mine have return springs.