Inauguration of the first railway in the province of Entre Ríos ND

Reverse

Steam train arriving under rising sun with legend "INAUGURACION DEL FERRICARRIL"
(Railway Inauguration)

Script: Latin

Lettering: INAUGURACION DEL FERRICARRIL

Translation: Railway Inauguration

Edge

Diagonal reeding

Comment

ARGENTINA. ENTRE RIOS. ½ Real, n.d. (1866). Railway Inauguration. Liberty head l., REPUB: ARGENTI: with 14 stars. Rv. Steam train arriving under rising sun, exergue INAUGURACION/ DEL/ FERROCARRIL. 13mm, .88 gram. Janson HCJ 11 var., KM unlisted. One of several provincial medallic coinage items of the era. Diagonal reeding, sharp strike.

The "Ferrocarril Primer Entrerriano" (FCPER) (The First Entre Rios' railway) was the first railway line built in the province of Entre Ríos and in Argentine Mesopotamia. The line was originally owned by an Argentine business group that obtained a concession from the provincial government and was inaugurated on July 9, 1866 with 9.85 km branch between the city of Gualeguay and Puerto Ruiz on the Gualeguay river. It was the first line to use the standard gauge (1,435 m) in Argentina. Puerto Ruiz operated as an overseas port and the construction of the railway facilitated export operations and the transfer of products from Entre Ríos to Buenos Aires.