New York Stock Exchange Optical Trade Ticket Display (1993) – Vintage Floor Trading Card

Explore a fascinating piece of market history: an unused NYSE optical trade ticket from the early days of floor trading. In the early 1960s, the NYSE began using these optical reader cards for entering data into its ticker systems. The cards were filled out by floor reporters and then fed into a card reader built by IBM. By the mid to late 1960s the exchange completed its conversion to this optical card reader system for reporting trades. These card readers replaced the "Ticker Room" where trades were fed through a pneumatic tube and recorded by an attendant and entered manually into the ticker system.

The cards had a ton of data that could be input on them. If you look at the lower left side, the trading post number is indicated. Floor reporters would carry a stack of these cards in a metal, hinged flip top holder. Each ticket contains several sections that would be filled out including symbol, volume, price, badge, bid, and offer.

Presented in a high-quality acrylic display weighing over 1.5 lbs, this trade ticket is magnetically bound for easy opening and inspection. It’s the perfect desktop or bookshelf display for finance professionals, historians, and collectors.

New York Stock Exchange Trade Ticket

• Age: 1993
• Status: Unused
• Display dimensions: 10" x 4" x 1"
• Weight: Over 1.5 lbs
• Condition: Excellent; ticket as pictured
• Display: Premium acrylic; magnetically opened for inspection
• Context: Part of the NYSE data-entry transition from pneumatic-tube “Ticker Room” to IBM card-reader systems

Historical Significance

• Docs the evolution of trading data capture from manual entry to card-reader automation
• Offers tactile insight into mid-20th-century exchange technology
• A unique collectible for finance historians and display-quality office decor

Display & Gift Appeal

Ideal for desks, libraries, or corporate awards displays. A thoughtful gift for financial professionals, traders, or anyone fascinated by the history of the stock market.

Specifications