Description:

This collectible phone card, titled “Ameritech Holiday Edition Debit Card,” features a charming and festive winter scene rendered in a minimalist, almost whimsical line drawing style. Central to the design is a classic two-story house decorated with traditional holiday accents: three green wreaths with red bows adorn the front door and the second-floor windows, instantly evoking warm Christmas cheer. The house’s pitched roof emits gentle smoke from the chimneys, suggesting a cozy fire inside. The simplicity of the black-and-white lines, contrasted with touches of green and red, lends a nostalgic, hand-drawn quality to the illustration.

To the left of the house, two snowmen stand side by side, accessorized with hats and scarves. Their round shapes are slightly abstracted but unmistakable. Nearby, a sled loaded with wrapped gifts rests silently, ready to deliver holiday joy. A playful dog, tethered by a leash to a pink bow-adorned bundle of greenery, adds a lively touch to this serene winter scene. Birds dot the sky and the bare trees, their simple forms suggesting a quiet, cold evening.

On the right, a lively snowball fight unfolds between a standing child and a large snowman. The snowman, with a carrot nose and button eyes, appears almost animated as it exchanges snowballs with the boy, who is dressed in a Santa hat and mittens. Two small dogs—one near the boy and another behind the snowman—add movement and cheerfulness, their energetic poses injecting vitality into the scene. The bare trees framing the right side balance the composition and evoke the crispness of winter.

Prominently displayed in the upper right corner, the card’s $5 value is marked in bright green, matching the wreaths and garlands. Bright red text along the bottom reads “Ameritech Holiday Edition Debit Card,” branding it as a special holiday collectible. The overall style and subtle details make this card not only functional but also a nostalgic keepsake celebrating the joy and warmth of the holiday season.

The reverse side features a densely packed layout typical of phone cards from the era, providing essential usage instructions, terms, and service information. The background is white, with various segments of text laid out for clarity. At the top, the card prominently displays “SOLD BY Ameritech,” along with instructions reminding users to accept phone cards in trade and emphasizing the convenience of calling with the card instead of coins. A red box outlines specific dialing instructions for the United States, including prompts to dial the number, follow voice instructions, and check remaining minutes by pressing designated keys.

Below this, a black-and-white image of a telephone handset and coin slot serves as a visual cue, reinforcing the card’s purpose. Additional contact information, including Ameritech’s Chicago address and a toll-free help number, is printed for user assistance. Warnings about lost or stolen cards and the importance of safekeeping are included, along with international dialing instructions and terms for proper use.

Overlay grids and micro-text, used by telephone systems to track usage and validate the card, are also present. The magnetic strip appears as a black bar at the bottom edge, essential for system reading but unobtrusive within the overall design.

This back side combines functionality with informative content, contrasting the whimsical front and appealing to phone card collectors. It bridges usability with nostalgic charm, capturing the early days of prepaid telecommunications and the collectible appeal of holiday-themed cards.

Since we have the world's largest inventory of USA phonecards for collectors, you will not necessarily receive the identical serial/batch/PIN number that we have scanned/pictured.