Pope Pius XI's golden phone

This phone is likely a Western Electric Model 102, but specifically, it is a bespoke, cast-silver and gold-plated version created by the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) company for Pope Pius XI. It was presented to him on December 20, 1930, to commemorate the installation of the Vatican City’s first modern telephone exchange. Instead of a standard number plate, the center features the Papal Coat of Arms in blue enamel. The base features the Chi-Rho (☧) symbol (a Christogram) and figures of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the blue enamel medallions on the corners.

A golden telephone is a rotary telephone made of or plated with gold. It is popularly associated with opulent decadence, representing power, wealth and elitism. Golden telephone sets were notably presented to Pope Pius XI in 1930 and to the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1957.