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½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II RAF - Battle of Britain
| Issuer | Gibraltar Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020 |
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| Currency | Pound (decimalized, 1971-date) |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the George IV State Diadem, after the portrait by Raphael Maklouf or a later authorised effigy. The sovereign's bust is shown in high relief against a plain field. The circumferential legend reads ELIZABETH II · DEI · GRA · REGINA · GIBRALTAR, with the date 2020 appearing below the bust. The initials RDM appear beneath the truncation, identifying the designer. |
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| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II · DEI · GRA · REGINA ·GIBRALTAR RDM · 2020 · |
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| Additional information |
Gibraltar has issued commemorative half sovereigns in sovereign-weight format continuously since the 1990s, largely targeting the collector market rather than circulation. This piece marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the 1940 air campaign in which the RAF's Fighter Command — outnumbered and flying from forward bases under constant attack — prevented the Luftwaffe from establishing the air superiority that Operation Sea Lion would have required. Hugh Dowding's controversial management of reserve squadrons during the campaign almost cost him his command; he was removed from Fighter Command just weeks after the battle's official end date of 31 October 1940.