The Royal Canadian Mint's decision to feature an American-made cargo plane on a commemorative coin celebrating the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) centennial has raised eyebrows.Blacklock's Reporter says the coin, set to be released this summer, depicts a CC-130H Hercules cargo plane, which was first manufactured in 1954 by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation for the United States Air Force.Despite the RCAF's use of Hercules cargo planes since 1960, the choice of an American-made aircraft to represent Canada's aviation history has sparked debate. The Mint defended its decision, stating that the coin aims to promote national awareness of the RCAF's historic and ongoing service, and that the image of the Hercules is merely illustrative.However, critics point out that Canada has a rich history of aircraft production, with thousands of planes manufactured during the Second World War alone. Iconic Canadian aircraft include the Avro Lancaster bomber, Bristol Bolingbroke, Curtiss Helldiver, and DeHavilland Mosquito. The Mint's decision to feature an American-made plane has been seen as a missed opportunity to showcase Canada's own aviation achievements.This is not the first time the Mint has faced criticism for its commemorative coins. In 2016, a coin misidentified a Second World War aircraft as "Canadian-made" when, in fact, it was manufactured in England and Australia. The error was subsequently corrected by cabinet.
