The Royal Australian Mint is celebrating 50 years of a transcontinental icon, the Indian Pacific, with a new coloured 50 cent coin depicting the Australian train.
The Indian Pacific, named for the two oceans the train reaches on its journey, travels from Sydney across the Nullarbor to Perth, taking in Broken Hill, Adelaide and Kalgoorlie. The 4352-kilometre trip takes four days.
The first Indian Pacific service left Sydney on February 23, 1970, becoming the first direct train to cross Australia. The coin is uncirculated and costs $15. It has been released in a limited mintage of 30,000.
The coins are legal tender and can be purchased from the Mint's website.
