Nepal's 2001 Buddha centenary coin appeared during one of the most turbulent stretches in modern Nepali history — issued under Gyanendra's first brief reign, just months before the royal massacre of June 2001 that killed King Birendra and nine other family members, propelling Gyanendra back to the throne permanently. Nordic gold, the aluminum-bronze alloy developed in the 1990s primarily for high-denomination circulation coinage, was an unusual choice for a commemorative of this weight, suggesting the Nepal Rastra Bank intended genuine circulation alongside collector appeal.
Nepal's 2001 Buddha centenary coin appeared during one of the most turbulent stretches in modern Nepali history — issued under Gyanendra's first brief reign, just months before the royal massacre of June 2001 that killed King Birendra and nine other family members, propelling Gyanendra back to the throne permanently. Nordic gold, the aluminum-bronze alloy developed in the 1990s primarily for high-denomination circulation coinage, was an unusual choice for a commemorative of this weight, suggesting the Nepal Rastra Bank intended genuine circulation alongside collector appeal.