Description:

This collectible $5 phone card commemorates the 1997 Portland Rose Festival, vividly capturing the spirit of this beloved Oregon event. The card’s design prominently features a richly detailed, soft pink rose set against a striking black background, symbolizing the festival’s celebration of flowers and community pride. On the left side, a small embedded chip indicates that it is a smart card with stored memory for prepaid usage. This chip technology aligns with its function as a stored value card (SVC), providing users with $5 in calling credits. Its polished, sleek appearance elevates it beyond simple utility, making it an attractive promotional collectible manufactured by G&D (Giesecke & Devrient), a recognized leader in smart card production.

Dominating the right side of the card is the official Portland Rose Festival logo, featuring a stylized red rose encircled by the words “Portland Rose Festival” in white letters over a navy blue background. The logo conveys authenticity and directly links the card to this historic event, which has been a Portland tradition for over a century. The festival draws both locals and visitors to celebrate the blooming roses and the city’s vibrant cultural scene. Below the logo, the year “1997” is prominently displayed in red, serving to date the card and mark it as a keepsake from that specific year’s festival. Just beneath, the $5 denomination is printed in bold red type, indicating the prepaid calling credit.

In the upper right corner, the bright yellow US West logo—immediately recognizable—denotes the telecommunications provider behind this stored value phone card. US West was a major telephone company serving the western United States, including Portland, Oregon, at the time. As a regional pioneer in telecommunications, US West’s branding adds regional significance to the card. The bottom right corner features the word “TELECARD” in yellow, indicating its category within the stored value card market. This combination of features—promotional branding, embedded chip technology, and stored value functionality—classifies the card as a smart card designed for both utility and collectibility.

Overall, this 1997 Portland Rose Festival $5 chip card exemplifies a promotional stored memory card that bridges technology, regional culture, and event memorabilia. It reflects the mid-1990s shift from magnetic stripe cards to chip-based cards, enhancing security and convenience for prepaid calling. The thematic design and technological features make it a noteworthy collectible that celebrates both the festival and advancements in telecommunications.

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.