Token Coins History

In Greece, telephone coins appeared in 1936 with the placement of the first public telephones in the center of Athens by the Hellenic Telephone Company SA. The coin had two lines. On the obverse there is engraved the logo of the telephone company AETE and a line on the reverse with the inscription TELEF. COIN. With this coin you could make a landline phone call of unlimited duration, but not long distance calls from shared phones due to the fact that there was no telephone network automation. The coins issued under the name AETE were of seven different denominations. World War II halted any installation of public telephones. Telephone coins made their appearance again after the war when OTE was founded in October 1949. The new coins used were of the same denomination, only the name of the new OTE telephone company was written on the obverse. A total of 30 different coins were issued which were once undated, then dated 1960,1962,1963,1965, 1966, 1967, 1970. The coins of 1966 some mention TSAKOGIANNIS on the reverse, while some do not. OTE coins were used until about 1972 and were withdrawn due to the replacement of coin acceptors with coin acceptors that accepted common coins. Below are the species that have been found.

Token coins

AETE with a diameter of 21mm

AETE with a diameter of 19mm A.

AETE telephone coin (in fine letters)

AETE telephone coin (in bold letters)

AETE telephone coin B

AETE telephone coin B (different)

AETE telephone coin (with different E)

OTE with a diameter of 21 mm

OTE with a diameter of 19 mm

OTE telephone coin A (coated)

OTE telephone coin A (OTE in fine print)

OTE telephone coin A (different E)

OTE telephone coin C

OTE telephone coin C (nickel plated)

OTE telephone coin (plain)

OTE telephone coin (lateral reversal)

OTE telephone coin (different E)

OTE telephone coin (small letters OTE)

OTE telephone coin (lowercase letters – italic reversal)

OTE telephone coin 1960

OTE telephone coin 1962

OTE telephone coin 1962 (OTE fine letters)

OTE telephone coin 1963

OTE telephone coin 1963 (OTE fine letters)

OTE telephone coin 1964

OTE telephone coin 1964 (different date)                                                                                 

OTE telephone coin 1965

OTE telephone coin 1965 (nickel plated)

OTE telephone coin 1965 (with slightly damaged die)

OTE telephone coin 1966

OTE telephone coin 1966 (Tsakogiannis)

OTE telephone coin 1966 (Tsakogiannis PA)

OTE telephone coin 1966 (Tsakogiannis – broken uterus)

OTE telephone coin 1967 (with different E)

OTE telephone coin 1967

OTE telephone coin 1970 (with different E)

OTE telephone coin 1970