{"product_id":"western-electric-1500d-1963-1967","title":"Western Electric 1500D (1963-1967)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e**Pictures Coming Soon \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWestern Electric 1500D \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e🥇First Commercially-Released Push-Button Telephone \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Western Electric 1500D, manufactured in the mid-1960s, was the specific technical designation for the standard, single-line desktop model of AT\u0026amp;T’s historic 10-button Touch-Tone telephone. To the average user, the \"D\" suffix simply meant it was a standard desk phone built on the highly rugged, heavy-duty foundation of the older Model 500 rotary series, utilizing the exact same internal \"500-type\" base, handset, and mechanical ringer. The defining feature of the 1500D was its mechanical 10-key layout, which lacked the modern pound (#) and star (*) keys, meaning it was used strictly for traditional number dialing. Beneath the plastic faceplate, pushing a button physically pressed down on a set of internal slider switches that activated precision tuning coils to produce the signature \"musical\" Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) beeps. Because the Bell System quickly realized that computer automation and future banking services would require the two extra characters, the 1500D was phased out after only a few years of production in favor of the 12-button 2500D model, making surviving 1500D units a highly sought-after prize for vintage collectors due to their heavy-duty \"built-to-last\" construction and short manufacturing window.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcquired from:\u003c\/strong\u003e eBay.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Western Electric","offers":[{"title":"Western Electric 1500D","offer_id":54165049114934,"sku":null,"price":1965.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.westporttechmuseum.com\/products\/western-electric-1500d-1963-1967","provider":"Westport Tech Museum","version":"1.0","type":"link"}