UK's Royal Mint launches commemorative Mahatma Gandhi coin on Diwali

The special coin launched in silver and gold features the image of India's national flower lotus and one of Gandhi's most famous quotes: "My life is my message."

It is part of the Royal Mint’s wider Diwali collection, including the UK’s first gold bar depicting an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the UK government said in a statement.

The commemorative coin has been launched to coincide with Diwali and in the 75th year of India’s Independence, it added.

Rishi Sunak, Britain's finance minister, called it a "fitting tribute to an influential leader who inspired millions of people around the world".

"As a practicing Hindu, I am proud to unveil this coin during Diwali. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the movement for Indian independence and it is fantastic to have a UK coin commemorating his remarkable life for the first time," he added.

The £5 coin, which is on sale from Thursday, is part of the Royal Mint’s wider Diwali collection, which includes 1g and 5g gold bars in henna-style packaging, and the UK’s first gold bar depicting Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth.

Hindus make up nearly 1.6 percent of Britain's population and are the third-largest community after Christians and Muslims. Most Hindus in Britain are of Indian origin.

Nicola Howell, Chief Customer Officer at the government-owned mint, said it was "delighted to unveil the first official UK coin commemorating the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

"The beautiful design builds on the enduring relationship and cultural connections between the UK and India," she added.

Last year, Sunak commissioned the new “Diversity Built Britain” 50p coin following discussion with the ‘We Too Built Britain’ campaign, which works for fair representation of minority communities’ contributions across all walks of life.

Around 10 million of the coins, which recognise and celebrate Britain’s diverse history, went into circulation in October 2020.