Australia Cobb & Co Centenary of Last Passenger Service 2024 $1 Aluminium-Bronze Uncirculated Coin

An official Royal Australian Mint issue, we are delighted to present the Cobb & Co Centenary of Last Passenger Service 2024 $1 Aluminium-Bronze Uncirculated Coin!

As detailed below, Cobb & Co was established in 1853 as a direct result of the Gold Rush. Creating a broad network of routes and opening up the eastern Australian inland, Cobb & Co became famous for its speed and reliability. An Aussie icon, the company’s reign ended when the last passenger coach travelled from Surat to Yuleba in southern Queensland in 1924. Bearing a stylised depiction of a Cobb & Co coach about to arrive at one its famous changing stations, this new $1 coin forms a perfect way to honour the end of an era in Australian history.

Whilst sure to be targeted by anyone with a love of Australian history, particularly the Gold Rush era, this official Australian legal tender coin is simply a must-have for collectors. Why? Because, not to be issued for circulation, this unique, one-year-only type will never be found in your change!

A crucial acquisition for anyone determined to maintain a complete collection, you must act now. With Royal Australian Mint products so popular, and our allocation strictly limited, a sell-out is inevitable. Click add to cart! 

An Australian icon – the history…

Soon after the discovery of gold in Victoria, the small diggings quickly turned into permanent settlements, with thousands of people flocking to the goldfields hoping to ‘strike it rich’. As a result of the population explosion in the fledgling colony, there was a sharp increase in demand for safe and efficient transport for both people and the rich deposits of gold. A pioneering transport company, Cobb & Co was created to cater for this demand.

Cobb & Co was established in 1853 by Americans Freeman Cobb, John Murray Peck, John B. Lamber and James Swanton. Originally named the American Telegraph Line of Coaches, their first coach left Melbourne bound for Forest Creek (now Castlemaine) and Bendigo in January 1854.

Horse-drawn coaches had been employed in Australia since the early 1800s, but, built for British conditions, they were largely inappropriate for the harsh Australian environment. Thus, Cobb & Co imported coaches and horses from America and employed drivers who were experienced in the American west.

The company’s other competitive edge was its ‘changing stations’, established at 16km to 20km intervals near inns, shanties and post offices. These stations were stocked with horses, harnesses, grooms and stockfeed supplies, and drastically reduced travel time to many inland destinations. In addition, the changing stations provided many people with a means of livelihood, providing refreshments and accommodation for travellers.

Soon after its first route was up and running, the company’s list of destinations expanded, linking the growing number of settlements to Melbourne. Not only transporting people and mail, Cobb & Co was also becoming the number one choice in gold escort due to their reliable and efficient schedules and routes. With this expansion naturally came increased dangers, and many routes were targeted by bushrangers.

Only three years after the company was established, Cobb & Co was sold to Thomas Davies and five years later was sold again, to a consortium headed by American James Rutherford. Under the new ownership, the company moved its headquarters to Bathurst. The company grew rapidly from this point, dominating the transport business and expanding into a range of commercial fields.

By the time the age of horse-drawn transport was at an end, largely due the emergence of reliable motor vehicles, Cobb & Co had become the most successful company of its kind. Featuring in art, literature, film and TV, the name Cobb & Co is forever etched in Australian history and folklore.