Duitola Asarphi - Prithvi Bir Bikram

The Duitola Asarphi was struck under Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, who ascended the throne as a child in 1881 and ruled Nepal through a period when the Rana prime ministers held effective power — the Shah kings reduced largely to ceremonial figureheads. This coin was issued in 1907, just one year before Prithvi Bir Bikram died without a direct heir, triggering a succession dispute that briefly destabilized the Rana-controlled court. Gold asarphis of this weight class were not general circulation pieces; they functioned within court economies and as diplomatic gifts.