Rare Nepalese coins?

[noongsaao]

Hey there *waves*. I just joined here yesterday. I collect foreign coins only, and just found out that my dad used to when he was younger. He told me about a coin that he got in 1980. He was in Nepal, and a man who worked there gave it to him. There had been a new king coming into power, so the mints started making new coins, as the coins have/had the face of the king on them. However, the next day, after he was made king, he was killed, meaning that all coins were pulled from circulation. This man had kept one though, and gave it to my father. Does anyone know anything about this? It was obviously made before 1980, but I don't know anything else about it besides that. My father hasn't looked at the coin in years, and it's currently packed away, so he can't tell me much either. Thanks.

[Brett]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Pictures of the coin in question would help to determine the coin.

[noongsaao]

I know pictures would really help. My dad is in process of trying to remember where exactly he packed it away for safe keeping. I'll post a picture as soon as I have one. Until, was just hoping to get lucky off of someone recognizing it from the story.

[Brett]

Here is some history on Nepal's rulers...

 

Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah became king in 1955. After Mahendra died of a heart attack in 1972, Prince Birendra, at 26, succeeded to the throne.

 

In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. The first free election in three decades provided a victory for the liberal Nepali Congress Party in 1991, although the Communists made a strong showing. A small but growing Maoist guerrilla movement, seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and install a Communist government, began operating in the countryside in 1996.

 

On June 1, 2001, King Birendra was shot and killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. Angered by his family's disapproval of his choice of a bride, he also killed his mother and several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned king.

[henare]

the part about withdrawing the coinage of the previous king doesn't sound right ...

[porthos]

Here's a list of the kings who have ruled Nepal and issued coins.

 

 

Prithvi Narayan Shah (25 September 1768 - 11 January 1775) (ruler of Gorkha from 1743)

Pratap Singh Shah (11 January 1775 - 17 November 1777)

Rana Bahadur Shah (17 November 1777 - 23 March 1799) (abdicated)

Girvan Yudha Bikram Shah (23 March 1799 - 20 November 1816)

Rajendra Bikram Shah (20 November 1816 - 12 May 1847) (abdicated)

Surendra Bikram Shah (12 May 1847 - 17 May 1881)

Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah (17 May 1881 - 11 December 1911)

Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign) (11 December 1911 - 7 November 1950) (in exile in India from 7 November 1950 until 7 January 1951)

Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (1st reign) (7 November 1950 - 7 January 1951)

Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign) (7 January 1951 - 13 March 1955)

Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (14 March 1955 - 31 January 1972)

Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (31 January 1972 - 1 June 2001) (assassinated in the Nepalese royal massacre)

Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (1 June 2001 - 4 June 2001) (three days, incapacitated)

Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (2nd reign) (4 June 2001 - 28 May 2008) (deposed, suspended from 15 January 2007)

 

It is not correct that any coin was pulled out of circulation since the only ruler who ruled for only three days was Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 2001 (and it is rumored that he was already dead but his death was not announced due to political reasons for three days).

 

Any way the whole point in question is not very relevant because Nepalese coins are only worth the metal they are minted in. I am a collector from India and I can assure you that NO Nepalese coin available for sale is worth more than a Dollar.

 

Hope that clears up some things about the question.

[Brett]

I am a collector from India and I can assure you that NO Nepalese coin available for sale is worth more than a Dollar.

 

 

I would have to disagree, there are many coins from Nepal worth more than $1. Alot of the early 1900's coins are worth more than $1

[bart]

Here is some history on Nepal's rulers...

 

Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah became king in 1955. After Mahendra died of a heart attack in 1972, Prince Birendra, at 26, succeeded to the throne.

 

In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. The first free election in three decades provided a victory for the liberal Nepali Congress Party in 1991, although the Communists made a strong showing. A small but growing Maoist guerrilla movement, seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and install a Communist government, began operating in the countryside in 1996.

 

On June 1, 2001, King Birendra was shot and killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. Angered by his family's disapproval of his choice of a bride, he also killed his mother and several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned king.

 

After murdering almost his entire family, Crown Prince Dipendra shot himself, but didn't die immediately. He stayed 3 days in coma before dying. As his father, the king, was dead, and he was the crown prince, he was officialy proclaimed king. Here on Wikipedia you can find an article.

 

However, no coins have been struck in his name.

 

As you were talking about a pre-1980 coin with a king's face on it, I presume it could be a coin from the second reign of king Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1951-1955), like this rupee of 1954 (picture on worldcoingallery).

[noongsaao]

Thanks for the information everyone. I showed my dad all of it, and he doesn't remember enough about what the man who gave it to him said, nor what it looks like, to be sure of anything right now. He's going to see if he can dig it up in the next few days though, and I'll post a picture and/or details when he does.

[porthos]

I would have to disagree, there are many coins from Nepal worth more than $1. Alot of the early 1900's coins are worth more than $1

 

Sorry Brett, it may be true in the States (worth more than a dollar) but out here in the Indian subcontinent, there is a plethora of Nepalese coins available for sale hence no coin fetches more than a dollar max! (except for gold or silver coins, which also by the way sell only for their bullion value).

[grivna1726]

Sorry Brett, it may be true in the States (worth more than a dollar) but out here in the Indian subcontinent, there is a plethora of Nepalese coins available for sale hence no coin fetches more than a dollar max! (except for gold or silver coins, which also by the way sell only for their bullion value).

What is happening with Indian coins? I saw something in the news, maybe a year or so ago, saying that they were being melted to make razor blades.

[noongsaao]

So, my dad found the coin and got it to me. It is in a cardboard case, and has the following written on the front: "Gyanendra, 2 month rule, Nepal 1 rupee, Very Rare, 1950 (2007)." On the back is "All specimens melted." Here are links to pictures of the front and back. Sorry about the quality, but this is the best camera I have. Thanks for any info anyone might have.

 

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/h...url/Nepal-1.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/h...url/Nepal-2.jpg

 

Also, here is a link to some information about the guy. This coin was made during his first rule, as a boy, not his later rule that just ended a few months ago.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyanendra

[bill]

The 2006 edition of the Standard Catalog of World Coins lists the 1950 Gyanendra rupee (KM 730) as worth $12.50 in Unc down to 4.50 in Fine. They show no mintage figures. The 50 paisa is shown with a mintage of 26 and a value of 350 in unc down to 175 in fine. The gold Mohar and Tola are shown with no listed value. It is likely that the coins were melted. The anonymous coinage that preceded the short reign continued to be produced for another two years.

 

It would appear that it is likely rare, although probably not valuable.

[grivna1726]

The 2006 edition of the Standard Catalog of World Coins lists the 1950 Gyanendra rupee (KM 730) as worth $12.50 in Unc down to 4.50 in Fine. They show no mintage figures. The 50 paisa is shown with a mintage of 26 and a value of 350 in unc down to 175 in fine. The gold Mohar and Tola are shown with no listed value. It is likely that the coins were melted. The anonymous coinage that preceded the short reign continued to be produced for another two years.

 

It would appear that it is likely rare, although probably not valuable.

I know nothing about Nepalese coins, so have no additional information to offer about this one. The circumstances under which this piece was acquired suggest that it is not a coin with high commercial value.

 

That said, Krause prices can be wildly outdated, as prices for Russian coins have been.