Canada 20 Dollars Silver Coin 1991 de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
Powered Flight in Canada: The first 50 years
Obverse: Profile portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II created in 1990 and notable for the grand jewelled tiara and a beautiful string of pearls, this royal effigy was designed by Canadian artist Dora de Pedery-Hunt.
Reverse: A de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver on floats, forest lake in the background. Portrait of Philip C. Garratt in 24-karat gold-plated cameo, denomination below.
Lettering: CANADA 20 DOLLARS PM.
Engraver: Peter Massman.
Edge: Reeded & Plain Sections.
Diameter: 38 mm.
Weight: 31.103 g.
Material: Silver.
Fineness: 0.925.
Denomination: 20 Canadian Dollars.
Produced By: Royal Canadian Mint.
Phillip C. Garratt
Phillip C. Garratt, Manager of The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. and an outstanding figure in Canadian flying and aircraft manufacture for many years, has been awarded the McKee Trans-Canada Trophy for 1951. The McKee Trophy, which dates back to 1927, is presented annually for meritorious service in the advancement of Canadian aviation. The late Dalzell McKee of Pittsburgh, a wealthy aviation enthusiast who made the first trans-Canada flight by seaplane in 1926, donated the trophy. Mr. McKee established the trophy in recognition of the welcome and assistance given him by the RCAF during his flight.
Mr. Garratt, born in Toronto in 1894, has been associated with flying since 1915 when he soloed at the Curtiss Flying School in Toronto. He won his wings with the Royal Flying Corps the following spring and, after action as a fighter pilot on the western front, served for the remainder of the war as a flying instructor.
In 1920, he flew as a pilot with Bishop Baker Airplanes on ‘barnstorming’ tours. In 1921, he served as an Air Force instructor at Camp Borden. He later did test flying and ferry work for the Canadian de Havilland Enterprise at Toronto and in 1936 accepted the management of the de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. He has been with that company since then.
Under his direction and guidance, many British-designed aircraft were modified to meet Canadian requirements. This work culminated in the DH82C, the Tiger Moth, with major Canadian modifications and which the RCAF used as the primary trainer during the Second World War. During the latter part of the war, de Havilland switched from production of the Tiger Moth to assembly of Ansons and then on to production of the world-famed Mosquito.
Following the war’s end, he guided the company in its production of civil aircraft. First of these was the Fox Moth and then the Canadian designed Chipmunk, a successor to the Tiger Moth. The Chipmunk today is in use by the RCAF for refresher pilot training and is used also in many other countries, being manufactured under license by the parent de Havilland Company in Britain.
In 1946, de Havilland Aircraft of Canada began manufacture of an aircraft considered by Mr. Garratt before the war and designed to meet the needs of Canadian bush operations. This aircraft, the Beaver, now is in use in Canada and 15 other countries. In 1951, it was entered in a U.S. competition for a liaison aircraft and won by a wide margin. Designated the L-20, it was ordered in large numbers for the U.S. army, the first time in peace time that an aircraft was ever purchased by U.S. defense authorities from sources outside the United States.
Continuing development of aircraft for Canadian needs, Mr. Garratt inspired and guided development of an aircraft with the performance of the Beaver but with double its payload. Design was begun in January, 1951. The following December the prototype of the new aircraft, called the Otter, made its first test flight.
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application (crop dusting and aerial topdressing), and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft. The United States Army purchased several hundred; nine DHC-2s are still in service with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) for search and rescue. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Beaver supported Sir Edmund Hillary's expedition to the South Pole. Over 1,600 Beavers were produced until 1967 when the original line shut down.
Due to its success, the Royal Canadian Mint commemorated the Beaver on a special edition Canadian quarter in November 1999.
Canadian Coins
Canada 20 Dollars Silver Coin 1991 de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver