2017-07-10 Mon

The Royal Mint is going to release the “2017 Aviation £2 coin” which belongs to the First World War ‘Outbreak to Armistice’ collection. The latest release celebrates the contribution of aviators during the First World War. Hot-air balloons were used for observation and reconnaissance for almost 100 years. Later on, planes were used for observations. They created accurate maps and intelligence in unknown and dynamic landscapes.

The Royal Flying Corps of the British Army reported positioning of enemy forces. It grew in size from a few hundred aeroplanes in 1914 to thousands of combat and support aircraft. In 1918, its name was changed to Royal Air Force.

The design features a pilot and his observer of the Royal Flying Corps, in a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. They are performing a reconnaissance flight during the Battle of Arras in April 1917. A map is shown below the plane. The coins are available in Gold Proof, Silver Proof and Silver Proof Piedfort versions.