TAMURA

Here we see a wall-mounted coin-operated payphone, a 1974 TAMURA model. It was designed in Australia and manufactured by the Japanese company Victa Telecommunications (Tamura Electric Works Ltd.). The model code was 101-GR-1. Production rights in Greece were granted to a factory in Oinofyta, Boeotia, owned by the firm Chidiroglou-Lambrou. Initially, the device accepted one-drachma coins; later—following the devaluation of the drachma and the passage of time—it was adapted to accept two-drachma, five-drachma, and, finally, ten-drachma coins. It was used as a coin-operated payphone for both local and long-distance calls. Its dimensions were 37 cm x 21 cm x 21 cm (excluding the handle), and it weighed approximately 12.5 kg. It was constructed entirely of steel and finished in a grey shade. These units were installed in public areas, government offices, and OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organization) facilities. They remained in use until the mid-1990s, when call-duration metering devices were introduced. Today, it is one of the most sought-after collectible telephones in Greece.