Gas Signs

If you've looked at my collections of fire hydrant signs, metal plates, or utility boxes, you'd know that I've got a soft spot for rusty Soviet signage. These signs, with their retro flames and "Alma-Ata" logos, are obviously irresistible. They're found exclusively at private homes, where the address is often followed by a "6B" or "5B' followed by a three- or four-digit code. It must be some kind of individual meter number provided for the gas man's monthly rounds, but I still don't know exactly how the system worked.