Trial Issue
Trial Issue |
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Background
Having decided on the GPT system of cards and card phones Telecom began trialing the system in early May 1989. Two military installations – Wigram Airforce Base and Burnham Military Camp, both near Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand – were chosen as ideal trial sites. They were considered to be ideal because of their closed nature and the ease with which base personnel could be educated without costly advertising programmes. Five cards, with values of $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50, were produced especially for the trial. Each card had the same design showing a colour photograph of the Chief Post Office in Cathedral Square, Christchurch. The trial cards were printed by GPT in sheets of 56 (8 x 7) cards. Each sheet contained a mixture of each of the values in the following numbers:- $2, 15; $5, 14; $10, 11; $20, 6; $50, 3. All trial cards were manufactured with the deep blindman’s notch.
Distribution
Each card was sold in a small cardboard wrapper, of which two different printings are known. The first used thin, white and shiny cardboard. The second was on thicker, off-white and less shiny cardboard. A presentation pack, containing a set of mint cards and a white card printed in gold, was produced. It is believed that only 60 were made up and that most of these were presented to Telecom clients, Telecom officials and Defence Force personnel. A small number were also sold to collectors. Two different versions are known, one has rounded gilt corners and the other has square gilt corners.The cards were only available for purchase at the two military bases and from Telecom in Christchurch, and were sold at face value. The few packs that were sold were priced at $99 each. Many of the cards that remained unsold after the trial were later used by technicians to test new payphones as they were installed throughout the rest of New Zealand. All the cards that were not sold, or used by technicians, were destroyed by shredding in a low key ceremony held in Wellington in October 1992.
The number of cards issued were:
$2 Multicolour trail card - 11021
$5 Multicolour trial card - 7254
$10 Multicolour trial card - 5775
$20 Multicolour trial card - 2567
$50 Multicolour trial card - 863
If you would like to buy a mint set of these cards in the folder, the price is approximately $US950. Please check with me for a definite price.
This is a unique opportunity to buy a set of New Zealand's first phonecards at a price that will never be cheaper.
Place an order using my Secure Server Order Form by clicking here.
JDL Holdings, P.O. Box 87-142, Meadowbank, Auckland 1130, New Zealand