Description

This is the only Philips card SPECIMEN we have found with early Large CP8 style Module. Nice to have a date 4-8 March 1985 helps us to timeline this card type. This is the the FIRST Philips module based on CP8 Technology. Around this time, the French Ministry have directed a collaboration of technology between Philips, and Honeywell Bull to use the BULL CP8 configuration for the proposed National Bank Smartcard scheme.
From 1985-1986, Philips began using various contact designs, mostly circular, and using the single microprocessor. Both Philips and Bull were the dominant producers of Bank cards after National rollout in 1987 onwards.