Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force - 2008 Uncirculated Cupro Nickel Coin

On 1 April 2008, the Royal Air Force celebrated their 90^th Anniversary and to celebrate this momentous occasion Pobjoy Mint has struck a special coin on behalf of the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.  The RAF was founded on 1 April 1918, and to this day is a great force whose motto reads ‘Per Ardua ad Astra’ which means ‘Through Adversity to the Stars’.

The RAF’s role, in conjunction with the British Armed Forces, is to defend the UK and its interests, strengthen international peace and stability and be a force for good in the world.  An important element in the RAF’s powerful defence capabilities is its ability to transport and deploy crucial air defence and other operational aircraft over large distances, to stay on patrol and to fly to enemy territory carrying large weapons and a variety of support equipment and personnel.

The design depicts an image of an RAF Hercules flying over an area in South Georgia, dropping supplies and equipment.  The wording ‘90th Anniversary of the RAF’ appears in the surround of the design.  The design has been approved by Buckingham Palace and the obverse of the coin carries a fine effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS FSNAD and is available in Uncirculated Cupro Nickel.