½ Asarphi - Mahendra Bir Bikram Coronation

Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was crowned in Kathmandu in May 1956, but coronation coinage was struck the following Nepali calendar year — 2013 VS, corresponding to 1956–57 — as part of a deliberate commemorative issue rather than circulation coinage. The half Asarphi denomination places this within Nepal's traditional gold tola-based weight system, the Asarphi being anchored to the tola rather than to any metric or colonial standard.

Mintage on coronation gold of this type was tightly controlled and pieces were largely distributed as gifts within court and diplomatic circles.