Quick answer
The Royal Mint Diwali range is made up of gold bars, not coins. The best known is the Lakshmi gold bar, launched in 2021 as a 20g bar of 999.9 fine gold and now also sold in 1g and 5g sizes. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. No new 2026 Diwali release had been announced by 8 October 2026.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Diwali 2026 | Sunday 8 November 2026 |
| Dhanteras 2026 | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Lakshmi bar first issued | 2021, as a 20g bar |
| Sizes listed by the Royal Mint | 1g, 5g and 20g |
| Metal | 999.9 fine gold (24 carat) |
| 20g bar size | 31mm x 18mm, 0.64 troy ounces of gold |
| Design | The goddess Lakshmi, by Royal Mint designer Emma Noble with the Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Cardiff |
| Packaging | Blister pack with a henna-patterned sleeve, unique serial number |
| Is it a coin or legal tender? | No. It is a bullion bar with no face value |
| 2026 Diwali release | None announced as of 8 October 2026 |
Does the Royal Mint make Diwali coins?
Not at the moment. Searching royalmint.com for "Diwali" on 8 October 2026 returned gold bars only: the Lakshmi, Ganesh and Om bars. No coin was listed with a Diwali theme.
The Royal Mint groups these products under an "Indian-Inspired" gift range. That page also listed some historic British India coins and a 2019 gold sovereign struck in India, which was marked as no longer available. None of them is a Diwali issue.
Anyone searching for a "Diwali coin 2026" from the Royal Mint will therefore find bars. The coin alternative is an ordinary gold bullion coin such as a sovereign or a Britannia, covered further down.
What is the Royal Mint Lakshmi gold bar?
It is a minted gold bullion bar showing Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. The Royal Mint's launch announcement described it as a 20g bar designed by Emma Noble, who worked with the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff on the accuracy of the design. The Royal Mint's product page credits Nilesh Kabaria of the same temple as collaborator.
The announcement said the bar would be blessed at the temple's Lakshmi Poojan ceremony at Diwali that year. It followed 1g and 5g gold bars in henna-inspired packaging that the Royal Mint had sold the year before.
A Ganesh bar followed the next August. The Royal Mint called it the second bar in its Diwali-inspired series, and said the Lakshmi bar had sold out within its first week before a second run was made.
Lakshmi gold bar sizes and prices
These are the prices shown on royalmint.com on 8 October 2026, when the Royal Mint's displayed gold price was about £3,129 per troy ounce. The last column is simple arithmetic: the price minus the value of the gold in the bar at that gold price.
| Bar | Gold content | Royal Mint price, 8 October 2026 | Gold value at £3,129 per oz | Amount above gold value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakshmi 1g | 0.032 troy oz | £165.00 | About £101 | About £64 |
| Lakshmi 5g | 0.16 troy oz | £677.00 | About £503 | About £174 |
| Lakshmi 20g | 0.64 troy oz | From about £2,165 | About £2,012 | About £153 |
The Ganesh bar was listed in the same three sizes at the same prices. A bundle of one Ganesh 1g and one Lakshmi 1g bar was shown at £320.00, reduced from £330.00. An Om 5g bar was listed at £677.00.
The 20g price is quoted as "from" because it tracks the live gold price. The smaller the bar, the more you pay over the gold value in proportion: roughly two thirds extra on the 1g bar against under a tenth on the 20g bar, on these figures.
Prices change daily, so treat the table as a snapshot and check the live spot prices before you buy.
Why is gold bought at Diwali? The Dhanteras tradition
Diwali is a five-day festival of lights. Britannica describes the first day, Dhanteras, as dedicated to cleaning homes and buying small items of gold, with the worship of Lakshmi as its focus. In 2026 Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November, two days before the main Diwali day.
The Royal Mint's own article on gold at Diwali recounts one of the stories behind the custom. In it, the son of King Hima was fated to die of a snakebite, and was saved when a great pile of gold and lamps at the door dazzled the serpent. The article says the legend inspired the custom of buying gold on Dhanteras for good luck.
The same article notes that gold jewellery has long been the favoured Diwali gift, and describes small bars and coins as a modern form of the same tradition. That is the market the Lakshmi bar was made for.
Bar or coin: legal tender, VAT and Capital Gains Tax
A gold bar and a gold coin of the same weight hold the same metal, but the tax treatment in the UK is not identical.
| Point | Gold bar (such as the Lakshmi bar) | UK gold bullion coin (sovereign, Britannia) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal tender | No | Yes |
| VAT | Exempt if it meets the investment gold test | Exempt as investment gold |
| Capital Gains Tax | Not covered by the sterling currency exemption | Exempt, as sterling currency |
VAT
HMRC's VAT Notice 701/21 says investment gold is exempt from VAT. For bars, it defines investment gold as gold of a purity not less than 995 thousandths in the form of a bar or wafer of a weight accepted by the bullion markets.
The Royal Mint states that its gold bullion bars are exempt from VAT in the UK under current legislation, and its listing for the Lakshmi 20g bar carries a "VAT FREE" tag. Confirm the VAT position at checkout for the smaller gift sizes. The MyCoinage guide to VAT on gold and silver coins explains why silver is treated differently.
Capital Gains Tax
This is where bars and UK coins part company. HMRC's Capital Gains Manual says sovereigns minted in 1837 and later and Britannia gold coins are currency and, like all sterling currency, are exempt. The Royal Mint says the same of its UK gold coins.
A bar is not currency, so that exemption does not reach it. A gain on selling a bar can therefore be taxable. GOV.UK says you may have to pay Capital Gains Tax if you sell a personal possession for £6,000 or more, so a single small bar is unlikely to be affected, but larger holdings can be. See which coins are CGT exempt, and take advice if the sums are large. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and can change.
Which suits a Diwali gift?
If the meaning of the gift matters most, the Lakshmi bar is the only Royal Mint product made for the occasion. If you care more about the price paid per gram and the tax position on a later sale, a UK bullion coin is worth comparing. The sovereign values guide and the half sovereign values guide cover the coin route.
Premiums over spot: what you pay for the design
The Royal Mint says its bullion prices are set by the live gold price "with a premium added". It describes the premium as a margin on top of the cost of the metal. The table above shows how much that margin varies with the size of the bar.
That matters if you ever sell. The Royal Mint buys back gold bullion at a percentage of the live gold price, so the premium is not returned. The rates are set out in does the Royal Mint value or buy back coins.
The Royal Mint also notes that any promotions or discounts apply to the premium only and never to the metal price. Its Lakshmi page invites buyers to register their interest to receive a discount code by email. No Diwali offer was advertised on the pages read for this post, and none should be assumed.
What to do next
Check the gold price on the day, read the current price on the Royal Mint's product page, and work out how much sits above the gold value. Compare that with a bullion coin of similar weight.
Keep the receipt, and keep the bar in its blister pack with its serial number.
If the gift joins a wider collection of gold and coins, you can record it with the physical coin tracker on MyCoinage, which is free to start. For other ideas at a range of budgets, see the coin gifts guide.
FAQ
Does the Royal Mint make Diwali coins?
No Diwali coin was listed by the Royal Mint on 8 October 2026. Its Diwali-related products are gold bullion bars: the Lakshmi, Ganesh and Om bars in its Indian-inspired range. Buyers who want a coin usually choose a standard gold bullion coin such as a sovereign or a Britannia.
What is the Royal Mint Lakshmi gold bar?
It is a minted bar of 999.9 fine gold showing Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. The Royal Mint launched it in 2021 as a 20g bar, designed by Emma Noble with the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff. It is now listed in 1g, 5g and 20g sizes.
Is there a Royal Mint Diwali product for 2026?
No new Diwali product for 2026 had been announced on royalmint.com by 8 October 2026. The existing Lakshmi and Ganesh bars were listed for sale in 1g, 5g and 20g sizes. Check the Royal Mint's site for anything released closer to the festival.
Is gold bought for Diwali VAT free in the UK?
Usually, if it is investment gold. HMRC says investment gold is exempt from VAT, which covers bars of at least 995 thousandths purity in a weight accepted by the bullion markets, and qualifying gold coins. Gold jewellery is not investment gold. Confirm the VAT position with the seller before paying.
When is Diwali 2026?
Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Dhanteras, the first day of the festival and the traditional day for buying gold, falls on Friday 6 November 2026. Dates follow the lunar calendar and can vary by a day by location, so check your local temple's calendar.
Is the Lakshmi gold bar legal tender?
No. It is a bullion bar with no face value, not a coin. That affects tax: HMRC treats UK gold sovereigns and Britannias as sterling currency, which is exempt from Capital Gains Tax, and that exemption does not cover gold bars.