An extraordinary memento has been added to the collection of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków — a silver collector’s coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint to mark the centenary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
This unique specimen was presented to Museum Director Tomasz Kosecki by Witold Victor Kowalczyk, a graduate of the Officers’ Aviation School in Dęblin (class of 1960), who lives in Canada. Mr Witold is the son of Cpl. Pilot Konstanty Kowalczyk, one of the first Polish military pilots — according to the French carnet issued by the Command of the Aviation School in Bydgoszcz, he was already listed as pilot number 52 in 1921.
Motivated by a patriotic sense of duty and pride in family traditions, Witold Kowalczyk flew to Poland specifically to present numismatic coins marking the RCAF centenary to participants of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the “School of Eaglets” in Dęblin. During his visit to the Museum, he was accompanied by Maj. Gen. (Pilot) Dr Mieczysław Walentynowicz and Andrzej Szymczak from the Warsaw branch of the Association of Military Aviation Seniors of the Republic of Poland.
The coin commemorates a century of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which over the years has played a significant role in the history and security of its country.
The obverse features a portrait of King Charles III designed by Steven Rosati. The reverse depicts the characteristic maple leaf and silhouettes of aircraft used by the RCAF — completed with the dates “1924–2024”, the denomination and the issuing country. The reverse was designed by Jason Bouwman.
We are deeply grateful to Mr Witold Kowalczyk for this moving gesture and for donating a memento that will soon enrich our Museum’s collection. The coin will become a symbolic expression of the memory of a shared aviation heritage and the contributions of Poles in international service in the air.
