As Australia continues to commemorate a century of service, the Royal Australian Mint remembers another unsung hero from another war. ‘G for George’, a heavy bomber from the SecondWorld War, is being honoured on a coin which will be a musthave for those with an interest in military history or aviation.

‘G for George’ was an active Avro Lancaster heavy bomber which was constructed in 1942 and flew 90 operational missions over Nazi-occupied territory during the Second World War. Its affectionate nickname was the result of the prominent ‘G’ in its squadron code, and the plane was both empowering and uniting for over 10,000 airmen. Servicemen crewed this aircraft in RAF Bomber Command until its retirement in 1944. It now sits proudly on display in the Australian War Memorial’s ANZAC Hall, as an embodiment of the strength, endurance and sacrifices of those who served in the war. On the 70th anniversary of its retirement, this coin serves as a lasting memento of its iconic service.

Packaged in a card featuring the plane schematic and images of the 90 missiles displayed on the side of G for George representing the number of missions it flew. Packaging features the Australian War Memorial’s First World War centenary logo. Coin’s reverse features ‘G for George’ against a background of missiles dropped by the plane.