Phone cards

Data cards of the kind below started being experimented with in the seventies. In 1984, mass production began on pre-paid phone cards based on Roland Moreno's chip (the same technology found in SIM cards or bank cards). These were used to make calls from public telephones or use public Minitels available at the post office.

Starting in 1986, these "telecartes" started bearing advertisements for all sorts of products. France Telecom sold telecartes that displayed its own ads, and independent companies used them to advertise their 3615 sites.

These cards became collectors items, the value of which usually depended on the circulation of the particular card. In this collection, you can find the circulation on the back of the cards, as "tirage". Also note the different card values. Cards were usually either 50 or 120 units. A few cards, made specifically as collectors items, only contained 5 units. Also note variations in the type of chip used.