Commemorative coin celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's life unveiled in UK
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The coin on Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled by Rishi Sunak, UK's first finance minister of Indian origin. The unveiling took place as India celebrated festival of Diwali
An official, commemorative coin celebrating life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in Britain on Thursday. The coin has been made by The Royal Mint and was unveiled by Rishi Sunak, who is UK's first Hindu finance minister.
The special coin is available in gold and silver, featuring India's national flower, the lotus. It feature one of Mahatma Gandhi's famous quotes, "My life is my message."
Today I’ve unveiled a new commemorative £5 coin with the @RoyalMintUK to celebrate the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 4, 2021
The striking design features India’s national flower and one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes.
Read more: https://t.co/C6fyvzIII4 pic.twitter.com/yw3PGvmIlA
Gandhi, a figurehead for civil rights movements across the world, led the campaign against British rule in India, helping to secure independence in 1947.
The £5 coin, which is on sale from Thursday, is part of the Royal Mint's wider Diwali collection, which includes a gold bar depicting the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
Hindus are the third-largest religious group in Britain after Christians and Muslims, making up some 1.6 percent of the population.
Most British Hindus 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.
Around 10 million coins celebrating Britain's diversity went into circulation in October 2020.
(With inputs from agencies)