means "token" in
Italian. More specifically, the word can be used to refer to the (
telephone token
Telephone tokens were token coins once widely used for making telephone calls from public telephones in place of ordinary coins. They were also sometimes used as a medium of exchange and as a collectible. Telephone tokens were once widely used in ...
), which was used during much of the 20th century in Italian
telephone booths.
The was introduced in 1927 by STIPEL and subsequently adopted by other telephone companies. The last version of it (as reproduced in the picture below) was produced from 1959 to 1980. In this last version, the had the date marked on it in the form of a four digit number at the bottom of the obverse side of the token. The first two digits represent the year in which the token was minted. The last two digits represent the month. Example: "7805" represents "May 1978". Its use ceased in 2001, coinciding with the upcoming introduction of the
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
currency in 2002.
Gettone as means of payment
In the 1970s the value of the metal used in Italian small coins had reached a higher value than the face value. This led to a coin shortage in the market, forcing the circulating use of , stamps, and bus tickets for small transactions or part exchanges of a larger payment.
became so common and so well known that they were considered
legal tender, almost always being accepted as payment. One was valued 50
lire up to 1980, 100 lire up to 1984, and 200 lire from 1984. The thus became known as a typical Italian item even outside of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
See also
*
Telephone token
Telephone tokens were token coins once widely used for making telephone calls from public telephones in place of ordinary coins. They were also sometimes used as a medium of exchange and as a collectible. Telephone tokens were once widely used in ...
*
Jeton
Jetons or jettons are tokens or coin-like medals produced across Europe from the 13th through the 18th centuries. They were produced as counters for use in calculation on a counting board, a lined board similar to an abacus. They also found use ...
*
References
External links
Picture of the gettone telefonico
Token coins
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