Vatican Phone Cards history
The first Vatican phone card was issued in 1992, when the use of mobile phones was not yet widespread and the Vatican could count on the presence of a hundred public telephones, used both by tourists and by less occasional users as students from Seminaries and Universities, members of the Gendarmerie, Swiss Guards and other people who visit the Vatican daily. Many of them have shown since the beginning a considerable appreciation for these cards, keeping them even after use and starting a collection.
The first card marked by no. "0" has been followed by more than 200, all with a historical, artistic or religious theme, as well as three extraordinary series: one dedicated to the Libreria Editrice Vaticana (the Vatican Publishing House), presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair, one dedicated to the Jubilee of Mercy (2016) and one dedicated to the newly restored Carlo Crivelli’s paintings (2020).
After a first “very limited” experimental folder (only 600 copies), warmly welcomed by collectors in 2007 each issue, consisting of four cards, has been presented in limited and numbered laminated folders.
The sale, direct or by mail, is handled by the Vatican Telephone Service ( e-mail: