5 Rupees - Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah

Nepal Rastra Bank was established in 1956, replacing the older Nepal Bank Limited as the sole issuing authority — this series, beginning in 1962, was among the first to fully consolidate that transition under the new central bank's name and structure. Thomas De La Rue had long been the dominant printer for Himalayan-region issues, and their involvement here was a continuation of a relationship that stretched back through several predecessor series.

King Mahendra's reign saw Nepal pivot away from the Rana oligarchy that had controlled the country for over a century. Notes bearing his portrait carried real political weight during a period of rapid constitutional change, including the introduction of the Panchayat system in 1960.