5 Dollars - Elizabeth II 3rd Portrait - Cobb and Co 1853 - Masterpieces in Silver

Cobb & Co began Australian operations in 1853 using American Concord coaches and drivers imported from California, where the company's principals had already run coaching routes during the Gold Rush. The timing was deliberate — Victoria's goldfields were producing a frenzy of passenger and mail traffic that existing transport simply couldn't handle. Within two decades the network had expanded to over 6,000 kilometres of weekly routes across eastern Australia.

This piece belongs to the RAM's Masterpieces in Silver series, which drew on historical anniversaries for its themes rather than any standing commemorative program.