2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Royal Air Force Badge, Gold Proof

Issued to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force, founded on 1 April 1918 through the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service — a merger that was bitterly opposed by the Admiralty, which regarded losing control of its air arm as a serious strategic blow. The RAF became the world's first independent air force, separated from army and naval command at a moment when the strategic bombing campaigns over Germany were already underway.

The .9167 gold proof strikes in this centenary series were produced across several denominations and design variants, with the badge reverse among the more restrained of the options offered that year.