100th Anniversary of the Railway

100th Anniversary of the Railway in Israel
State Medal, 1994 5754

Railway construction began in Israel at the end of the 19th century, under Ottoman rule. Joseph Navon received rights from the Turkish sultan in 1888 to construct the railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem. French investors completes this line, which was inaugurated September 26, 1892. In the early 1900s, the Turks built the Hejas Railway and in 1905 the Emek Railway, and in 1905 the Emek Railway, with a Deraa-Sea of Galilee-Haifa route, was opened. The Turks and Germans constructed the Afula-Tulkarm-Lod-Beersheba-Nizzana line, which was dismantled after World War 1. In 1942 the Haifa-Beirut line, completing the link between Cairo and Istanbul, was inaugurated. The last steam engine was replace by disel in 1959.

Description of the coin
Obverse: Above, the first train in Israel, with Hebrew inscription to left and year: 5653 ; below, a modern train with English inscription "THE FIRST RAILWAY IN ERETZ ISRAEL 1892" to the right.

Reverse: Train tracks with approaching train on horizon. Below, on the tracks, the passage"BUILD UP THE TRACK" in Hebrew and English (Isaiah 62). Above, emblem of  Israel Railways; along the circumference, "Israel Railways Authority" in Hebrew.EdgsState emblem with the words "STATE OF ISRAEL" in Hebrew on the right and in English on the left and serial number. Bronze/tombac medal - "BRONZE" in Hebrew and English ; Silver medal -  "SILVER 935" in Hebrew and English ; gold medal - "G.750" in Hebrew and English.

Serialization: All medals are numbered.

Designer: Obverse - Abraham Pat. Reverse - Galia and Ilan Eisen.

Engraving
Tidhar Dagan.

Mint: Bronze/tombac - Hecht.
Silver and gold - The Government  Mint.