Nepal shifted from pure brass to brass-plated steel for this denomination in 1994, driven by the chronic problem of higher-denomination coins being melted for their metal content — a persistent issue in South Asian economies where the intrinsic value of coinage repeatedly outpaced face value. The steel core made the arbitrage unworkable. KM#1075.1 distinguishes the magnetic variety from the contemporaneous non-magnetic brass strikes, both circulating simultaneously during the transition.
Nepal shifted from pure brass to brass-plated steel for this denomination in 1994, driven by the chronic problem of higher-denomination coins being melted for their metal content — a persistent issue in South Asian economies where the intrinsic value of coinage repeatedly outpaced face value. The steel core made the arbitrage unworkable. KM#1075.1 distinguishes the magnetic variety from the contemporaneous non-magnetic brass strikes, both circulating simultaneously during the transition.