Turkmenistan telephone tokens

In the USSR, telephone communication was carried out from a home telephone or from payphones installed on the street or in public places. Payphones accepted one coin of 2 kopecks or two coins of 1 kopeck each (before the monetary reform of 1961, a call cost 15 kopecks). After the collapse of the USSR and the monetary reform of 1991, this form of payment became irrelevant and payphones were converted to accept tokens.

Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991. Until that time, its telephone system was part of the telephone network of the Soviet Union, which was operated by local telephone companies.

The main volume of communication services in Turkmenistan is provided by two state-owned companies. In 1993, the State Telecommunication Company "Turkmentelecom" was established. It has the status of the National Telecommunications Operator. The Turkmenistan.

In 1994, the State Company "Ashgabat City Telephone Network" was established. In 2015, a closed joint stock company "Ashgabat City Telephone Network" was established on its basis. The founder was the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan with a share in the authorized capital of 30% and the State Telecommunication Company "Turkmentelekom" with a share of 60%.

The photo shows a phone booth in Ashgabat that looks futuristic and like a teleportation device from a science fiction movie.

Principal sources:

• B. E. Sacharov: Телефонные жетоны СССР, стран СНГ, Грузии, Латвии, Литвы и Эстонии (Telephone tokens of the USSR, CIS countries, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia). Kyiv 2012

Turkmenistan city issues
	Filename	TU1
	Side 1	ШТС (Шэхэр Телефон Станциосе, City Telephone Station), 3632 - Telephone code of Ashgabat
	Side 2	Blank..
	Material	Bronze plated steel
	Size (mm)	17.8
	Weight (grams)	1.4
	Notes	Issuer: Ashgabat city telephone
	Source	Gusev
	Filename	TU2
	Side 1	ШТС (Шэхэр Телефон Станциосе, City Telephone Station)
	Side 2	Blank..
	Material	Stainless steel.
	Size (mm)	18
	Weight (grams)	2.2
	Notes
	Source	Gusev