New coins in the denomination of Rs 100 and Rs 5 will soon be issued by the government to commemorate the birth centenary of the late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran of Tamil Nadu, according to an official announcement here.

"The coins of the denominations (Rs 100 and Rs 5) shall also be coined at the Mint for issue under the authority of the central government to commemorate the occasion of M.G. Ramachandran birth centenary," the Finance Ministry said in a gazette notification dated September 11, notifying the rules on "Coinage of One Hundred Rupees and Five Rupees coins".

The Rs 100 coin will be 44 millimetres in diameter with a metal composition of silver (50 per cent), copper (40 per cent), nickel (5 per cent) and zinc (5 per cent). On the obverse, the Rs 100 coin will bear the "Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar" in the centre with "Satyamev Jayate" inscribed below on it in Devnagari script.

It will also bear the rupee symbol and denominational value "100". On the reverse side, the portrait of M.G. Ramachandran will be in the centre.

The standard weight of the Rs 100 coin will be 35 grams. The new Rs 5 coins will be 23 millimetres in diameter and it will weigh 6 grams. The metal composition of the Rs 5 coin will be Copper (75 per cent), zinc (20 per cent) and nickel (5 per cent).