Royal Mint honours Beatles star John Lennon in celebration of his 85th birthday

Beatles singer-songwriter John Lennon made a profound impact on music, pop culture and politics during his lifetime and continues to inspire fans decades after his life was tragically cut short.

Now, his life and career will be celebrated with the launch of a commemorative coin that recognises Lennon’s feats “as an artist, activist and advocate for peace.”

The UK Royal Mint has commissioned a specially minted coin engraved with a portrait of the musician, based on a famous image taken by rock music photographer Bob Gruen, to mark the year that would have been Lennon’s 85th birthday.

The commemorative coin features his name written to the left of a side profile of Lennon, while the word “Imagine” features on the right side of the design, in reference to his single and album, released in 1971.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint said they wanted to highlight Lennon’s legacy as a record-breaking artist and anti-war activist.

In 1969, Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono famously held a “bed-in for peace” over a two week period in their hotel room so they could protest the Vietnam War and use their celebrity status to draw attention to the ongoing destruction in the South East Asian nations.

Although dismissed by the world’s press, the innovative protest continues to inspire activists across the globe and has been referenced in songs by rock bands including Oasis, Marcy Playground and Lincoln Park.

“Arguably one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time, Lennon’s achievements as an artist, activist and advocate for peace continue to live on and will now be forever remembered on a coin,” Morgan said.

The Strawberry Fields Forever singer was murdered in December 1980 at the age of 40, a decade after the Beatles split up.

Prior to his tragic death, he created controversy when he married Yoko Ono in 1969 with many blaming her for the breakup of The Beatles.

In later years Beatles fans placed the blame on Paul McCartney following a press release in which he claimed he was leaving the band as well as their manager at the time, Allen Klein, insisting the break up be kept under wraps.

However, McCartney later contradicted this assessment on an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and brought along a sweet photo of the pair together, which was taken by his late wife Linda in 1968.

-with AP.