Gettone
In the 70's the value of the metal used in Italian small coins had reached a higher value than the face value. This led to a coin shortage in the market, forcing the circulating use of gettone, stamps and bus tickets for small transactions or part exchanges of a larger payment. "Gettoni" became so common and so well known that they were considered legal tender, almost always being accepted as payment. One g"ettone" was valued 50 lire up to 1980, 100 lire up to 1984 and 200 lire from 1984. The "gettone" thus became known as a typical Italian item even outside of Italy.
Gettone as means of payment
Gettone means "token" in Italian.