Banknotes of the Sri Lankan rupee

The banknotes of the Sri Lanka rupee are part of the physical form of Sri Lanka's currency. The issuance of the rupee banknotes began in 1895.

The Government of Ceylon introduced its first paper money in the form of the 5 rupee banknote in 1895. These were followed by 10 rupee notes in 1894, 1000 rupee notes in 1899, 50 rupee notes in 1914, 1 and 2 rupee notes in 1917 and 100 and 500 rupee notes in 1926. In 1942, emergency issues for 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents were introduced and issued until 1949.

In 1951, the Central Bank of Ceylon took over the issuance of paper money, introducing 1 and 10 rupee notes. These were followed in 1952 by 2, 5, 50 and 100 rupee notes. The 1 rupee notes were replaced by coins in 1963.

From 1977, banknotes were issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. 20 rupees notes were introduced in 1979, followed by 500 and 1000 rupees in 1981, 200 rupees in 1998 and 2000 rupees in 2006. Sri Lankan banknotes are unusual in that they are printed vertically on the reverse. In 1998, a 200-rupee note was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of independence (1948–1998). This is the first polymer banknote issued in Sri Lanka, and it was printed by Note Printing Australia. All other denominations are printed by the De la Rue Lanka Currency and Securities Print (Pvt) Ltd, a joint venture of the Government of Sri Lanka and De La Rue, a printing company in the United Kingdom.

Banknotes

Private Banks

Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (United East India Company) Private SeriesImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues 1 rix dollar17851785-17862 rix dollars3 rix dollars4 rix dollars5 rix dollars10 rix dollars20 rix dollars50 rix dollars100 rix dollars200 rix dollars500 rix dollars

Bank of Ceylon Private Series 3ImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues 1 pound1800s5 pounds10 pounds20 pounds

Asiatic Banking Corporation Private Series 2ImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues 10 shillingsFlowerFlower Green18651 pound5 pounds10 pounds

Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China, Colombo / Galley / Kandy Private Series 4ImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues 5 rupees186710 rupees50 rupees100 rupees500 rupees1000 rupees

Oriental Bank Corporation, Badulla / Colombo / Galley / Jaffna / Kandy / Newera Ellia Private Series 5ImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues 5 rupees18691869-188410 rupees50 rupees100 rupees

Government of Ceylon

Government of Ceylon series, 1885's Government of Ceylon seriesImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues Sri Lankan Lion 1 rupeeFlowerFlower Green19141930, 1939 10 rupees

Government of Ceylon 2nd series, 1930s Government of Ceylon seriesImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues Sri Lankan Lion 1 rupeeFlowerFlower Green19141930, 19392 rupee(Blank) 10 rupees191450 rupees

King George VI series, 1940s King George VI seriesImageValueDescriptionKey Dates Image WatermarkObverse Reverse Main Color Dimensions First Issued Other Issues Sri Lankan Lion 10 centsGeorge VI1942 25 cents50 cents1 rupeeElephantGreen2 rupee10 rupeesLaxapana Waterfall1942100 rupees

Central Bank Of Sri Lanka

King George VI 2nd series, 1951 King George VI 2nd series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion1 rupee George VIBlue1951 10 rupees

Queen Elizabeth II series, 1952 Queen Elizabeth II series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 1 rupee Elizabeth IIBlue1952 2 rupees , 5 rupees 10 rupees 50 rupeesLight Blue 100 rupees

Armorial Ensign of Ceylon series, 1956 Armorial Ensign of Ceylon series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 1 rupee Coat of arms Light blue1956 1956-1963 2 rupeesDark red 5 rupeesBright red 10 rupeesGreen 50 rupeesBlue 100 rupeesOlive

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Portrait series, 1962 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Portrait series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 2 rupees S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike1962 1962-1965 5 rupees 10 rupeesGreen 50 rupeesPurple, light green 100 rupees

King Parakramabahu Series, 1965 King Parakramabahu Series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues , Sri Lankan Lion 2 rupees Parakramabahu I1965 1965-1977 , 5 rupeesOrange-Red1969 , 10 rupeesGreen , 50 rupees1967 , 100 rupees1965

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike 2nd Series, 1970 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 50 rupees S. W. R. D. BandaranaikeBlue1970 100 rupeesRed

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike 3rd Series, 1971 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues 50 rupees Purple S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike19711971-1974 Sri Lankan Lion 100 rupees

Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka series, 1975 Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues 50 rupees Light purple EmblemTerraced hillside26 August 19771977 Sri Lankan Lion 100 rupees Light purple, gray26 August 197719771975

Fauna and Flora Series, 1979 Fauna and Flora Series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 2 rupees FishRed26 March 19791979 5 rupees Butterfly and LizardPurple 10 rupeesGreen 20 rupees BirdBrown 50 rupeesBlue 100 rupeesOrange

Historical and Archaeological series, 1981 Historical and Archaeological series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 5 rupeesRed 19821 January 1982 10 rupees Temple of the Sacred Tooth RelicGreen1 January 19821 January 1985 20 rupees Moonstone Purple 50 rupeesBlue1 January 1982 100 rupees Orange 500 rupees Light brown19811 January 19811 January 1985 1000 rupees Dam Light green

Historical and Development series, 1987 Historical and Development series Image Value Description Key Dates ImageWatermarkObverseReverseMain ColorDimensionsFirst IssuedOther Issues Sri Lankan Lion 10 rupees Temple of the Sacred Tooth RelicGreen19871 January 198721 November 198821 February 19895 April 1990 20 rupees Moonstone Purple198821 November 198821 February 19895 April 1990 50 rupeesBlue 100 rupees Orange19871 January 198721 November 198821 February 19895 April 1990 500 rupees Light brown 1000 rupees Dam Peacock, mountains Light green1 January 198721 February 19895 April 1990

Sri Lanka Heritage series, 1991, 2005 The Heritage Series saw many revisions throughout its life since 1991 up to 2010. The 1995 revision had an enhanced latent image at the center bottom of obverse sides. The 2001 revision added wider metallic strip to the 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

Sri Lanka Heritage series (Series currently in Circulation) Image Value Dimensions Color Issued dates Watermark , , 10 rupees Green1 January 19911 July 199219 August 199415 November 199512 December 200110 April 20041 July 200419 November 20053 July 2006A lion holding a sword , , 20 rupees 128 X 63 mm Purple , , 50 rupees Blue , , , 100 rupees 143 X 71 mm Orange , , 500 rupees Light orange and purple , , 1000 rupees 158 X 79 mm Light green 2000 rupees Orange and Pink 2 November 20053 July 2006

Development, Prosperity and Sri Lanka Dancers series, 2010 To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka issued a new series of banknotes on 4 February 2011. The series was designed by two Sri Lankan artists selected from an island-wide competition. The themes of the new notes are Development and Prosperity, and Sri Lankan Dancers. The fronts of the new notes bear artistic impressions of selected development projects in Sri Lanka and native birds and butterflies. The backs depict Sri Lankan traditional dancers and guard stones in a background of a map of Sri Lanka. This new family does not include a 10-rupee note because that denomination was replaced by a coin on 5 April 2010.

Development, Prosperity and Sri Lanka Dancers (Series currently in Circulation) Image Value Dimensions Color Issued dates Watermark 20 rupees 128 x 67 mm Pink 1 January 20104 February 2015 Serendib scops owl 50 rupees 133 x 67 mm Blue Dull-blue flycatcher 100 rupees 138 x 67 mm Orange Orange-billed babbler 500 rupees 143 x 67 mm Purple Layard's parakeet 1000 rupees 148 x 67 mm Green Sri Lanka Hanging parrot 5000 rupees 153 x 67 mm Brown Yellow-eared bulbul

On 5 April 2010 Sri Lanka replaced the 10 rupee note with a coin.

Commemorative notes

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has issued five commemorative notes in recognition of significant events of national importance. In 1998 a 200 rupee note was issued on Independence day to commemorate the 50th Independence Anniversary of the country. In 2009 a 1000 rupee note was issued commemorating the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the Ushering of Peace and Prosperity. In 2013 a 500 rupee note was issued for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 held in Sri Lanka.

Banknotes of the Sri Lankan rupee

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