• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

An odd question that barely relates to coins ....

15 posts in this topic

Here's a couple of questions that some of the older (oops, I mean "more experienced" to be politically correct) coin collectors may be able to answer for me. I'm sure this will sound far-fetched, but I have a wacky question concerning how long-distance phone calls used to work, say circa 1965. And it is coin related in a roundabout way.

 

I've noticed in coin magazines from that era that only a seven-digit phone number was given (no area code). So, how would someone in St. Louis, MO see a New York dealer's phone number in a magazine and know how to dial it? Was there operator assistance involved? In short, how were long-distance phone calls made forty years ago?

 

Also, is it correct that ZIP codes didn't come into vogue until the late 1960s? What were the risks of sending valuable coins to an address that appears, from a 2005 perspective, to be somewhat ambiguous?

 

I really appreciate any and all replies!

 

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not as old as EVP, TDN, gmarguli, jom or others on this board, but it so happens that not too long ago I watched an excellent PBS show on telephone communication. Direct dial across the country did not become the standard until the late 1960s (like 1969) or early 1970s. Even then, a person would dial a zero before the number and an operator would come on and finish the connection. Prior to that, a person just dialed a zero and waited for an operator to come on. The relay was quite complicated and not very reliable (like TomB).

 

As for zip codes, all I remember was that when I was a kid (1960s), I used to send letters from California to my grandparents in Atlanta, and no zip code was required. And yes, they received the letters.

 

Hoot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll star with the Zip codes.

 

This comes from the United States Postal Services history site

 

Over the years, a number of potential coding programs had been examined and discarded. Finally, in 1963, the Department selected a system advanced by department officials, and, on April 30, 1963, Postmaster General John A. Gronouski announced that the ZIP Code would begin on July 1, 1963.

 

http://www.usps.com/history/his2_75.htm

 

The history of area codes is more intresting because of how much resistance there was (is )towards them.

 

The North American Numbering Plan's first proposal was given in 1946 by AT&T. A version was adopted in 1947 and the first customer dialed calls were not done until late 1951.

 

The first time that you would have to dial a area code if you were calling in you own area code was in 1983 when So. Calf split into two area codes (619 and 714) on 02/01/83.

 

Alot of this infomation came from

 

http://www.areacode-info.com/

 

I hope some of this helped.

 

CHRIS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Local calls in those days only required dialing four numbers. I say "only", but most people had party lines and you'd have to wait until everyone else hung up to place a call. We had about twenty households on our party line and rarely had trouble getting the line free. Incoming calls would get a busy signal if anyone was on the line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It also depended on where you lived. I was raised in rural Maine where crank (magneto) phones were still used until the early 1960's. These were party lines and required an operator for switchboard connection on all calls. By the late 1950's most urban areas used area codes with direct dailing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone out there, over 50, who can remember their first telephone number at home? In 1947, ours was POplar 2-3053. We lived in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. The first two letters of the prefix were always capitalized because they were part of the dialing sequence. Then, in the early 60's, the phone company began changing to the numeric equivalents, POplar 2 became 762, because it took less space and saved on printing costs of the directory. As far as I can remember, each state had just one area code, and they were introduced in the late 50's.

 

The sparse populations in many areas of the country couldn't justify the cost for some phone companies to upgrade to new technology. I can remember visiting my former brother-in-law in southwestern Michigan in 1973. There were two phone companies in the area, and the road he lived on was maintained by both. As it happened, calling a neighbor across the street was a long distance call.

 

Chris (Older than dirt and the hell with politics)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those were the days! I'm not over 50 yet but close. When I was a youngster back in the 1960's, I remember when there would be other folks already on the phone lines and I would sit there and listen in on the conversations until they hung up.

Sometimes one of the callers would start talking to me asking if there was someone there, "is anyone there? I know you are there, say something!" Of course that's when I would slowly, very quitely hang up without saying anything as I didn't want to get caught! grin.gif

Makes me wonder if this is why I like the forums! I can read other peoples posts, not say a word and move on. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

Leo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone out there, over 50, who can remember their first telephone number at home?

 

TW7-9927 TW meant "twin oaks". Why? I haven't a clue as I lived in Westminster, CA. That was when I was very young...by the time it mattered it was just 897-9927.

 

I'm not as old as EVP, TDN, gmarguli, jom or others on this board

 

893scratchchin-thumb.gif893scratchchin-thumb.gif893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

 

 

jom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a coin related to the topic.

 

698506-1882o1dcased.jpg

 

Assuming that it's the original coin that was put into the holder, the phone number would date it being in there for around 40 years.

698506-1882o1dcased.jpg.5d17db9b8cc7bb5066df8e35cc106560.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(((there would be other folks already on the phone lines and I would sit there and listen in on the conversations until they hung up.)))

 

Leo, that jogged my memory, because I remember that being the case when I was a really little kid. That was in the early 1970's WAY out in the middle of the Missouri Ozarks (hillbilly country for those who don't know), and I remember my parents talking about "party lines" as well.

 

Spiny, that was an extremely helpful post! I think I now understand how the letters corresponded to digits, and a very few of the phone numbers in my older coin magazines are listed that way. Cool coin!

 

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spiny, I'll bet that the letters "JA" stood for Jackson. Using presidential names was very common. I can remember some of the phone numbers around the country being prefixed with ADams, JEfferson, WAshington, MAdison, GRant & MOnroe. Of course, trees were also popular. Does anyone remember others?

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member: Seasoned Veteran

I remember party lines when I was young. You'd have to attempt your call several times until the line wasn't busy. mad.gif

 

Our telephone exchange name was Juno, so I had to memorize our phone number as JUx-xxxx. My folks have had the same phone number for 50 years, so I can't give out the remainder!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our telephone exchange name was Juno, so I had to memorize our phone number as JUx-xxxx. My folks have had the same phone number for 50 years, so I can't give out the remainder!

 

Well you could. insane.gif

 

Hoot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spiny, I'll bet that the letters "JA" stood for Jackson. Using presidential names was very common. I can remember some of the phone numbers around the country being prefixed with ADams, JEfferson, WAshington, MAdison, GRant & MOnroe. Of course, trees were also popular. Does anyone remember others?

Chris

 

In Brownsville, TX where my dad grew up they used Lincoln or LIx-xxxx

Link to comment
Share on other sites