20 Paisa - Tribhuvana Bir Bikram Shah

Nepal's first copper-nickel coinage was introduced under Tribhuvan following his return from exile in India in 1951, when he effectively ended the century-long Rana oligarchy with Indian and popular support. The shift from earlier bronze and silver issues to copper-nickel reflected both modernization pressures and the new government's alignment with mid-century monetary reform across South Asia. This particular issue had a brief window — Tribhuvan died in March 1955, and the series transitioned to his son Mahendra shortly after.