The RAF's centenary in 2018 prompted a wave of commemorative issues across British and Crown dependency mints, most tied to specific aircraft types that defined different chapters of the service's history. The Tornado entered RAF service in 1979 and by 2018 was already being phased out ahead of its final retirement in 2019 — making this issue something of a valediction as much as a centenary piece.
Jersey has no operational connection to the RAF's history, and these gold-plated copper pieces were struck purely for the commemorative market.
The RAF's centenary in 2018 prompted a wave of commemorative issues across British and Crown dependency mints, most tied to specific aircraft types that defined different chapters of the service's history. The Tornado entered RAF service in 1979 and by 2018 was already being phased out ahead of its final retirement in 2019 — making this issue something of a valediction as much as a centenary piece.
Jersey has no operational connection to the RAF's history, and these gold-plated copper pieces were struck purely for the commemorative market.