Released in 1999, this $20 sterling silver coin is the tenth release in the RCM's second aviation series, Powered Flight in Canada: Beyond World War II. Celebrate Canada's aviation heroes and their groundbreaking achievements.

This piece honors the de Havilland DHC-8 Dash 8 and Robert H. (Bob) Fowler, a former DHC test pilot whose vital work on flight controls and propeller systems helped establish DHC as a global leader in STOL aircraft design and manufacturing.

The Design

The reverse features the de Havilland DHC-8 Dash 8 along with a 24-karat gold plated cameo portrait of Robert H. Fowler. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Dora de Pédery-Hunt.

The de Havilland DHC-8 Dash 8 

Driven by the booming 1980s market for 30-to-40-seat commuter airliners, de Havilland designed the elegant DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprop. Built to operate economically out of crowded hubs with short runways, the DHC-8 Dash 8 was engineered to climb fast and steep, reaching its cruising altitude and speed in record time. The aircraft's maiden flight on June 20, 1983 marked de Havilland’s successful entry into the fast-growing regional transport field, leveraging its established reputation in short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) technology.