Someone is making jewellery out of TTC tokens

The end is near for TTC tokens as Toronto moves ever closer to phasing them (and every other possible form of fare payment) out in favour of Presto.

The once annoyingly-small and dirty little coins have taken on a new meaning since the transit commission announced they'd no longer be accepted by the end of next year.

Soon, the TTC token will be a rare memento of times gone by. A hard-to-find and essentially purposeless bit of Toronto history, one that can no longer be exchanged for access to the subway, bus or streetcar but once cost you $3 so why would you throw it away?

Toronto based jewellery designer and goldsmith Samantha McAdams has come up with a brilliant way to both preserve the token's legacy, and repurpose all that soon-to-be useless metal in a meaningful way.

"Showing the TTC some love as these iconic tokens are on their way out," she wrote on Instagram this week when sharing photos her latest creation: A custom, handmade, sterling silver necklace with a token as its pendant.

McAdams, who specializes in custom, antique-style heirloom jewellery, isn't mass producing or selling her token pieces online just yet.

The artist is, however, currently taking orders for more custom TTC jewellery. Interested parties can contact her directly, and should probably do so ASAP before everyone in the city starts banging down her digital door.