Two Pounds 2018 RAF Centenary - Vulcan, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

The bi-metallic £2 coin is the largest circulating coin denomination of the Pound Sterling. It was introduced in 1998 (earlier two pound coins were made of Nickel brass, were intended as commemorative, and did not circulate much). Being bi-metallic means that the coin comprises two separate components of differing alloys; the outer ring of the coins is made of Nickel-Brass (76% copper, 4% nickel, 20% zinc) and the inner circle is CuproNickel (75% copper, 25% nickel).

The Royal Mint maintains a "definitive" style of the £2 issued annually, as well as a large variety of one-year circulating commemorative types.

In 2017, the mint also started issuing some Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) £2 coins for collectors. These are included in the annual mint sets, but are not released into general circulation. Their themes celebrate important anniversaries or people, as well as iconic aspects of British culture and history.

This £2 coin commemorates the Centenary (100th anniversary) of the Royal Air Force (RAF), which was founded in 1918. It is the third of five RAF coins issued in 2018 and features on the reverse a Vulcan strategic bomber.

The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered tailless delta wing high-altitude strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. The origin of the Vulcan and the other V bombers is linked with early British atomic weapon programme and nuclear deterrent policies. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and Company (Avro) designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced, the Vulcan was considered the most technically advanced and hence the riskiest option. Several reduced-scale aircraft, designated Avro 707, were produced to test and refine the delta wing design principles. As part of Britain's independent nuclear deterrent, the Vulcan initially carried Britain's first nuclear weapon, the Blue Danube gravity bomb, and was later fitted with other weapons.

The reverse design featuring the plane was created by brothers Richard and Neil Talbot.

The Royal Mint says:
"As the Royal Air Force marks its centenary, The Royal Mint commemorates this milestone with a collection of coins celebrating 100 years of courage, spirit, and pioneering aviation since 1918. Unmatched by any other bomber from the jet age, the mighty Vulcan is truly an icon of the air and takes its place as the third coin in the series."

The motto of the Royal Air Force "Per Ardua Ad Astra", meaning "Through Adversity to the Stars" captures the courage and spirit of both the Royal Air Force and the exceptional people who have pioneered in aviation since 1918; it is inscribed on the edge of the coin.

Unlike the early coins in the series, these £2 coins were struck in various collector formats but none were issued into general circulation.