1 Sol Steam Locomotive

Part of Peru's ongoing "Riqueza y Orgullo del Perú" circulation commemorative program, this issue honors the Ferrocarril Central Andino — once the highest standard-gauge railway in the world, reaching an altitude of 4,781 meters at Galera tunnel. British engineer Henry Meiggs secured the contract in 1869 against considerable skepticism, and construction killed thousands of workers, primarily Chinese laborers, through altitude sickness and accidents. The line was financially ruinous for the Peruvian government and contributed to the debt crisis that preceded the War of the Pacific.