Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah Dev, or simply Prithvi Narayan Shah, was the King of Nepal from 1881 to 1911. He was the founder of the modern Kingdom of Nepal. He was born in 1875 and ascended the throne in 1881. Prithvi Narayan Shah was a member of the Gorkha royal family and united vast territories in the Himalayan countryside to create present-day Nepal. It was during his reign that the Gorkha Kingdom was transformed into the Kingdom of Nepal. He was the one who laid the foundation of Nepali unity and independence and will be remembered in Nepali history.

During the reign of King Prithvi, Nepalese coinage underwent significant development. In 1881, the king introduced the new Nepali rupee, which had a lower value than the previous rupees. The rupee was made of bronze, silver and gold. Bronze rupees were used in everyday trade. These rupees were produced by the British on the orders of the Nepalese government. Silver rupees were used for higher value purchases. These rupees were minted at the Government of Nepal's own mint. Gold rupees were only rarely circulated. During the reign of King Prithvi, the technology of Nepali coinage also developed. The king introduced mechanical coinage in 1886. Machine minting allowed the Nepalese government to mint more money and the money to be of better quality. During the reign of King Prithvi, the Nepali coinage became a symbol of national pride. In 1896, the king introduced the Prithvi rupee, which is the coinage of Nepal. it was one of the most beautiful coins in its history. The Prithvi rupee was made of silver and depicted the portrait of the king. The reverse of the coin featured the coat of arms of Nepal. Even today, the Prithvi rupee is considered a valuable collector's item.