| Name | Western Electric 161A Payphone |
| Date | 1950 |
| Manufacturer | Western Electric |
Development of the Western Electric 161A Payphone
| Western Electric 161A Payphone This Western Electric 161A was originally manufactured as a five-cent–per-call payphone. In the early 1950s, it was modified in anticipation of system-wide rate increases to ten cents per call. The modification involved replacing the original five-cent lead coin track in the upper housing with a stainless-steel ten-cent coin track, designed to accept either a single dime or two nickels. During installation of the new track, a factory clip was fitted to disable the two-nickel option. That disabling clip remains present in this instrument. The configuration indicates that the payphone was placed into service when the local rate was still five cents, shortly before the transition to ten-cent calling in the early 1950s. |
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