2009 Railway of the Future Silver Coin
2009 Railway of the Future Silver Coin - click on image to enlarge
General Coin Information
Concluding its six coin "Australian Railways" series, the Austrian Mint released the 20 Euro - The Railway of the Future Silver coin on September 9, 2009. Each side of the coin showcases a theory on what the future of rail service will be.
The obverse shows a Railjet train, Austria's version of a high-speed passenger train. The train not only features speed, but creature comforts as well. It is said to have a cellular signal repeater onboard to insure no dropped calls. Fast passenger service is the first theory of the future of rail service.
The reverse shows a railyard loaded with freight cars and tankers. This symbolizes the second theory of future rail service, and that is the increase in freight hauling. In the foreground is an electric transfer locomotive.
The rail industry is only a bit over 150 years old, but huge advancements are still being made. Who would have envisioned in the 1800's an electric train capable of running at sustained speeds of over 200 km/h like the Railjet does?
The coins ship in a box accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. For those that have purchased all six coins in the collection, a special wooden box is also available.
Obverse Design
The obverse, designed by Helmut Andexlinger, features the Railjet, a new high-speed train recently introduced in Austria. Marketed as not only capable of covering vast distances in a shorter amount of time, the Railjet is also designed for comfort and productivity. The Railjet on the coin is shown speeding out of a low tunnel on its way to its next destination. The inscriptions '20 Euro' 'Republic Osterreich' and '2009' are also seen.
Reverse Design
Thomas Pesendorfer designed the reverse which exemplifies the second theory of the future of rail service. This theory dictates that freight services will be switched from primarily road based to rail based. In doing this, roads will be cleared up. In order to accomplish this, however, railyards are going to have to be redesigned to accomodate the changes. The design on the coin shows a packed yard full of freight cars and tankers. In the front is an electric transfer locomotive.
Austrian Railway of the Future Coin Specifications
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Austrian Railway of the Future Coin Resources
- Mint information page
- Coin press release - CoinNews.net
- Additional 2009 Austrian Mint Coins - WorldMintCoins.com
- Silver Coins
