Coin gas meter

This is a coin gas meter for city gas, originally used in The Hague. At the end of the 19th century the gas manufacturers saw it as their duty to recruit more gas customers, make gas popular, and ensure that everyone could use it. The latter, in particular, turned out to be difficult. Many households burned petroleum at that time and could not afford a complete gas system for the kitchen and lighting. To make it easier, the coin gas meter was introduced in 1895. On average, the rate was one cent higher than for the normal gas meter: six cents instead of five cents per cubic metre. In return, the customer got all the parts for the lighting free of charge. In Leiden, a coin gas consumer not only got the meter but also an indoor gas line, a simple swing arm lamp with complete gas lamp, an iron wall arm with fan tail burner, a gas hob and a gas hose on loan. This greatly increased the number of customers, and gas consumption rose enormously.