The Design:
A salute to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) 100 years of service (1924-2024), the reverse design by artist David Moore spans three different eras of RCAF aircraft history. Backed by angular shapes conveying speed and motion, two of the aircraft speak to the RCAF’s past: on the left, the Camel was flown as a fighter aircraft in the First World War and as an advanced combat trainer with the RCAF until 1929; and on the right, the Spitfire fighter was flown in combat by RCAF squadrons overseas in the Second World War. The F-35 Lightning II—the inspiration for the lightning bolt in the background—is prominently featured in the foreground, where the stealth fighter represents the RCAF’s future fleet. The RCAF motto “Sic Itur ad Astra” (“Such is the pathway to the stars”) is positioned near the top, while the RCAF roundel is centred at the bottom. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.