20 Rupees - Birendra Bir Bikram International Year of the Child

Nepal's participation in the 1979 International Year of the Child was part of a coordinated UNICEF-driven global commemorative coin program that saw dozens of nations issue similar pieces simultaneously. For Nepal, the timing overlapped with significant constitutional turbulence — King Birendra had only recently, in 1975, assumed full power following his father Mahendra's death, and was navigating pressure for democratic reform that would eventually produce the 1980 referendum on the panchayat system.

The billon composition — just .250 fine — reflects Nepal's consistent approach to commemorative issues of this period: silver enough to confer collectible status, base enough to keep production costs low.