Payphone Slugs - AKA Slug Infestations

[DavePEI]

Some time back, I was given a collection of payphone slugs. These range from French coins, to tiddley winks,  to electrical box knock-outs, washers, hammered quarters, a test slug, and a Ureguay coin, TTC tokens, etc. . In this collection, there are some coins which have been drilled to tie monofilament fishing line - the idea being that these were fed into the phone to get a free call, than they were ripped back up the throat of the phone [Gag!] to recover it for another call.

The ingenuity of these guys is incredible. These were collected over the years by a gentleman working for Island Tel, now Bell-Aliant as he serviced the company's payphones. Most of these dated from 3 slot telephone days.

Now, of course, techniques and phones have been developed with cutters, etc.,  to avoid this type of fraud, but I thought you guys would find it interesting to see a photo of these. Where there was a way, it seems, people would cheat. No wonder repair costs and coin rates shot up through the roof through the years.

Another stunt used by cheaters which worked on the early 3 slot phones was to use a pin which was put through the receiver cord - the reason telcos began using armored cords to prevent the practice.

I have uploaded a photo below. He had kept them in spare 3 slot phone box.

Dave

[DavePEI]

I will upload a photo a bit later on this morning.
Dave

Well it took a bit longer than expected thanks to a trip to the Hospital, but here they are. Many were used to get free calls, others were designed to vandalize the phone by jamming it up. Note those with pinched edges and the tiddly winks which were used simply to jam the mechanisms. Every time he found a new one which was obviously intentional, he would save it.

But, I thought people would get a kick out of this guy's collection. I see on eBay, someone is selling a similar collection!

Dave

[gpo706]

A few of them "slugs" look like they have the Queens head on them, are they UK or Canadian?

[twocvbloke]

I'd gues that as Dave's in Canada, they're Canadian coins, or bits of them at least...

[DavePEI]

A few of them "slugs" look like they have the Queens head on them, are they UK or Canadian?

The vast majority are Canadian, with several electrical knock-outs, a Ureguay coin, and a French coin, plus, of course the Toronto Transit Comission token and tiddly winks  

Just shows if you provide a slot, they will find something to shove into it!

One of the Canadian Quarters looks as though it had been rolled over by a freight train, so since it had been may years since we had trains here, that dates it, even though the date was destroyed on it by the rolling, and the "holey" or "stringy" quarter was 1977 keeping it in the three slot date range!

I have always gotten a kick out of this little collection ever since it was given to me, not only that people would put all this trash into a phone, but also that he bothered to save it all!

See eBay 310388504822 for a similar collection!

I am going to have to try and find some test coins like Dave F. has to go with these!

Update: Several GTE test coins are on the way thanks to a forum user! Thanks!

Dave [H]