Sachin Tendulkar Honoured With Exclusive Gold Coin Issued by East India Company

Britain's premium luxury goods brand East India Company has issued an exclusive legal tender gold coin worth 12,000 pound sterling in honour of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

The rare coin has been issued in honour of Tendulkar's remarkable career spanning 24 years.

"Only 210 gold coins, each weighing precisely 200g, are being issued to pay tribute to Tendulkar at a global level. Only very few will ever see this coin in the flesh, making them exceptionally rare and precious amongst thousands of fans who yearn to own a piece of the superstar's legacy," the London-based firm said in a statement.

"Every single 200g coin issued is a masterpiece in its own right. Exclusively presented in a custom made presentation box the coin is accompanied by an individually numbered and personally signed certificate of authenticity along with an autographed cricket bat by Sachin Tendulkar," it added.

Tendulkar said he was honoured by the recognition.

"All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I am very fortunate to have lived this dream for the last 24 years. I am honoured to be recognised with the issue of these special coins, which have been impressively designed with a lot of thought," Tendulkar said.

The issue of a 'legal tender' coin is an official mark of distinction given to individuals who have accomplished great achievements in human history.

The design of the coin has been handcrafted in great detail by one of the world's most renowned coin designers Joaquin Jimenez, currently the Chief Engraver at Monnaie de Paris.

The canvas of the coin shows the latitude lines of the globe modelled in cricket stitching to represent the international stage of cricket.

The Gateway of India features to denote Tendulkar's home city of Mumbai, where he started and completed his illustrious career.

The cricket icon himself and his 200th Test milestone are symbolically represented by Tendulkar's autographed bat, helmet and the number 187 which he wore during his 200th and final Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in November 2013, where he announced his retirement cheered on by thousands of his devoted fans during an emotional farewell.

Sanjiv Mehta, CEO of the East India Company, said, "Historically precious metal formed an important part of The Company's trading activities. We have been issuing our own gold and silver coins for centuries and began to do so again in 2010.

"EIC originally introduced cricket to the Commonwealth, then the British Empire, and it made immense sense for us to issue a coin for this special occasion. We feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the Greatest Cricket Players of all time.

The Mumbai-born entrepreneur had acquired East India Company from 33 different shareholders and has spent five years to reposition the company associated with the British Raj as a modern day luxury brand.

Its first flagship 'Fine Food' store in Mayfair in the heart of London was launched in August 2010 and the company is now poised for expansion across the luxury real estate and restaurant sector in India.

The EIC is a multi-channel business dealing with fine food, precious metals, hospitality, publishing, fashion, art and jewelery.

The Sachin Tendulkar 'Limited Edition' coins are available to purchase from the East India Company's official website.