2015 - Mahatma Gandhi | Mint Souvenir Token

A commemorative souvenir was issued to mark the 146th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2015.

The gold souvenir coin issued in 2015 by the Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) and Metals & Minerals Trading Corporation Ltd. (MMTC) bears the image of Mahatma Gandhi and stands as a fitting tribute to a man whose life and work continue to inspire generations. Born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar in present-day Gujarat, Gandhi rose from the modest beginnings of a lawyer to become the leader of India’s struggle for freedom, and beyond that a moral beacon for the world. 

Gandhi’s years in South Africa, from 1893 onward, marked the emergence of his political and moral consciousness. It was there that he encountered first-hand racial injustice and began to develop his method of non-violent resistance or satyagraha—a commitment to truth (satya) and non-violence (ahimsa) as instruments of social change. In 1915 he returned to India, and within a few years his leadership would transform the national movement against British colonial rule. The coin’s issuance in 2015 carries the special significance of commemorating that return (Centenary of Gandhi’s Return from South Africa) and acknowledges his enduring legacy in the context of India’s journey to self-rule.

In India, Gandhi pioneered mass movements that reached out to ordinary people—peasants, workers, women, and the marginalised—shifting the freedom struggle from elite politics to a popular movement rooted in moral force. He led campaigns such as the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 and the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, where oppressed farmers faced down unfair colonial taxation and forced labour. In 1930 he undertook the iconic Salt March (Dandi March) covering some 380 km from Sabarmati to Dandi to defy British salt laws—a turning-point in the Indian independence movement. 

Gandhi’s vision extended beyond mere political independence. He emphasised self-reliance, rural upliftment, the dignity of labour, simplicity in living, communal harmony and the eradication of untouchability. His adoption of the charkha (spinning wheel) became a symbol of self-sufficiency and resistance to imported goods. His personal lifestyle—minimal possessions, wearing only a simple dhoti and shawl, and living among the people—embodied his beliefs.

The 2015 gold coin carries these symbolic resonances. Minted in 24-karat purity (fineness 999) and launched as part of the first national gold coin programme under the Government of India, the coin reflects not just a commemorative act but a reaffirmation of national values. For collectors and admirers, the coin becomes a tangible embodiment of Gandhi’s ideals—truth, non-violence, self-resilience, service to the poor, and commitment to the nation.

Gandhi’s life was also marked by personal sacrifice—he was imprisoned several times by the British, endured fasts, faced criticism from different quarters, and ultimately paid the highest price when he was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in Delhi. Yet his ideas transcended his mortal existence. Internationally his methodology of non-violent resistance influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, underlining his global relevance. 

The coin issued in 2015 invites us to reflect on how the values Gandhi stood for remain urgent today: a world grappling with injustice, conflict, inequality and environmental challenge needs the moral clarity he embodied. For a numismatist or collector, this coin is more than a piece of precious metal—it is a capsule of history and a reminder of the power of moral leadership in shaping destinies. By owning or viewing this coin, one connects with a legacy that not only aided India’s freedom but also offered a blueprint for peaceful change in the modern world.

In commemorating Gandhi through this gold issue, the state acknowledges both his place as the Father of the Nation and the continuing relevance of his message. It challenges us to carry forward that message—to live simply, serve selflessly, uphold truth and non-violence and remain steadfast in the pursuit of justice. As such, the coin becomes not only a collector’s item but a mirror to our own lives and our shared future.