Odd GTE Phone Mart Plugs & Jacks

[GTE Rick]

I was searching for Phone Mart ad's on newspapers dot com and ran across some from  1975's in the Irving Texas Area.  The ad's featured has this odd looking plug and jack arrangement.  I seen a few GTE phones with the plug on Ebay. t Is there have any info on these?

[Babybearjs]

weird.... I've never seen that style pinout. back in the 70's, sylvania and GTE must have been trying something different....

[Jim Stettler]

I was searching for Phone Mart ad's on newspapers dot com and ran across some from  1975's in the Irving Texas Area.  The ad's featured has this odd looking plug and jack arrangement.  I seen a few GTE phones with the plug on Ebay. t Is there have any info on these?

My guess is that it was intended for applications requiring more than 2 conductors.
Things like 2 or 3 line phones, lighted dials, a separate signaling circuit ect. Maybe with  interface equipment.
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Basically like a 4-prong but with 6 conductors.
It is a heavier duty plug vs  a RJ plug. It could handle larger loads.
It could be a way of connecting to 'specific system'  interface equipment
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It could be a marketing scheme for extensions.
Sell a phone that can't fit the standard network plugs ,
Sell a jack to fit the phone
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Now you have bootleg phone jacks for bootleg phones .
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If I was researching the topic , I would keep that possibility in mind.
JMO,
Jim

[rdelius]

  I think that Western Electric developed the modular jacks and AE might not have had a license to produce them  Note the 1975 date

[compubit]

I have an Ericofon with one of these connectors on it - I thought it might be outside the US, but now I know differently...

Jim