7 g, 150. obletnica železnic na Slovenskem (1996)**

Vir: Banka Slovenije

2. junija 1846 je prvič stekel železniški promet na današnjem ozemlju Slovenije. Dograjena je bila proga med Gradcem in Celjem, ena od etap pri gradnji železniške zveze med Dunajem in Trstom. V Celje sta tega dne pripeljali slavnostni vlak lokomotivi “Aussee” in “Drau”. Prihod prvega vlaka v slovenski prostor je pomenil prelomnico, katere pomen občutimo še danes. Odsek proge med Gradcem in Celjem so trasirali že leta 1842. Pri Šentilju so zgradili 190 m dolg predor, čez dolino Pesnice pa viadukt dolg 649 m. To je bil do tedaj najdaljši gradbeni objekt na celi progi od Dunaja, v celoti izdelan iz opeke.

Mostove na progi so gradili načeloma iz lesa. Največji je bil most čez Dravo v Mariboru, ki se je vzpenjal 26,2 metra nad rečno gladino, dolg pa je bil 190 metrov. Med Gradcem in Celjem je bilo zgrajenih 13 železniških postaj. Parni stroj je prvič peljal čez pesniški viadukt 2. maja 1846. Neuradno je bila proga Maribor-Gradec preizkušena 15. maja.

Ljubljano je železnica dosegla leta 1849, Trst pa leta 1857. Tako je bil dosežen zastavljeni cilj povezati Dunaj s Trstom. Progo Dunaj-Trst je 1858. prevzela zasebna družba z udeležbo mednarodnega kapitala in jo poimenovala Južna železnica.

Železnica je eden redkih dosežkov industrijske revolucije, ki se vse do današnjih dni ni bistveno spremenil, predstavlja pa navzlic naglemu razvoju drugih prometnih sredstev nepogrešljiv element gospodarskega napredka dežele.

Ob 150-letnici železnic na Slovenskem izdaja Republika Slovenije tudi zlate spominske kovance:

• zlatnik z nominalno vrednostjo 5.000 tolarjev, s težo 7 gramov in premerom 24 milimetrov, čistine 900/1000, v količini do največ 3.000 kovancev.

- – -
150 years of the railways in Slovenia (1996)

On June 2nd 1846 rail traffic ran for the first time on the territory now known as Slovenia. On this day a ceremonial train pulled by the locomotives names “Aussee” and “Drau” arrived at Celje. The arrival of that first train on Slovene territorry represented a turning point whose effects are still felt today.

The railway between Graz and Celje, which was a section of the line between Vienna and Trieste, was laid out as early as the year 1842. A 190 m long tunnel was constructed at Sentilj, and across the Valley of Pesnica a 649 m long viaduct was built. The latter was the longest construction on the entire railway line and was made of bricks only. Bridges were, in principle, made of wood. The longest bridge was the one across the Drava River in Maribor , rising 26.2 m above the river and being 190 m long. There were 13 railway stations set up between Graz and Celje. A steam locomotive drove over the Pesnica Viaduct for the first time on May 2, 1846. The railway line between Maribor and Graz was unofficially tested on May 15.

The railway line reached Ljubljana in 1849, and Trieste in 1857. The goal of connecting Vienna , Ljubljana and Trieste was thus achieved. In 1858, the railway line was taken over by a private company owned by domestic and foreign investors, which named the railway line “The Southern Railway”.
The railway is one of the few achievements of the industrial revolution which has not changed substantially up to the present day and, in spite of the rapid development of other means of transportation, still represents an indispensable element of the country´s economic progress.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the railway on the Slovene territory, the Republic of Slovenia hereby issues also gold commemorative coins:

• a gold coin with a nominal value of 5.000 Tolars, a weight of 7 grams, a diameter of 24 mm, and a purity of 900/1000, in a quantity of maximum 3.000 coins.

Authors of the idea for the design of the gold coin: Gorazd and Matjaz Ucakar, Ljubljana
Relief design: Dragomir Zobek, Jan Cernaj, Mincovna Kremnica
Minting: State Mint, Kremnica/Slovakia