Gettone

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Gettone [je-TOE-nay] means "token" in Italian (whether telephone or else).

More specifically, the word Gettone can be used to refer to the gettone telefonico (telephone token), which was used during much of the 20th century in Italian phone booths. The gettone was introduced in 1927 by STIPEL and subsequently adopted by other telephone companies. The last version of it (as reproduced in the picture linked below) was produced from 1959 to 1980. In this last version the gettone had the coin date marked on it in the form year (last two cyphers)-month. Its use ceased in 2001.

Gettones became so common and so well-known that they were unofficially considered legal tender, as they were usually accepted as payment. One Gettone was valued 50 lire up to 1980, 100 lire up to 1984 and 200 lire from 1984. The gettone thus became known as a typical Italian item even outside of Italy.

Also, Canadian slang for "foosball"; pronounced roughly as in Italian.


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