½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II RAF - Battle of Britain

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.