Britain is said to be considering minting a new coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi, the India’s Independence hero, in part of the growing interest in recognizing the contributions of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
“RMAC is currently considering a coin to commemorate Gandhi,” in response to Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s letter to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), as reported by the Treasury, in an emailed statement as reported by Times of India.
Mr. Sunak, in support of the campaign called “We Too Built Britain,” has asked the RMAC to pursue representation of BAME communities, stating that their members have made a “profound contribution” and must be considered for recognition on the UK’s coinage.
However, the idea of having Mahatma Gandhi on a British coin was previously announced by former chancellor Sajid Javid in October 2019. The Chancellor’s office has confirmed that Sunak is keen in commemorating the work of previous generations of BAME communities, in the British Coins.
Other campaigns include Noor Inayat Khan’s image on a new £50 note, which was not successful, as the Bank of England announced that the new series scheduled to enter circulation in 2021, will feature the image of Alan Turing, computer pioneer and code-breaker.
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