Banknotes of the Sri Lankan rupee

The banknotes of the Sri Lankan 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

Independent Period

King George VI series, 1951

King George VI series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[1]	1 rupee			George VI			1951
[2]	10 rupees			George VI			1951

Queen Elizabeth II series, 1952

Queen Elizabeth II series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[3]	1 rupee		Light blue	Elizabeth II			1952
[4]	2 rupees			Elizabeth II			1952
[5], [6]	5 rupees			Elizabeth II			1952
[7]	10 rupees			Elizabeth II			1952
[8]	50 rupees			Elizabeth II			1952
[9]	100 rupees			Elizabeth II			1952

Armorial Ensign of Ceylon series, 1956

Armorial Ensign of Ceylon series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[10]	1 rupee		Light blue	Coat of arms			1956
[11]	2 rupees			Coat of arms			1956
[12]	5 rupees			Coat of arms			1956
[13]	10 rupees			Coat of arms			1956
[14]	50 rupees			Coat of arms			1956
[15]	100 rupees			Coat of arms			1956

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Portrait series, 1962

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Portrait series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[16]	2 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1962
[17]	5 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1962
[18]	10 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1962
[19]	50 rupees		Purple, light green			1962
[20]	100 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1962

King Parakramabahu Series, 1965

King Parakramabahu Series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[21], [22]	2 rupees			Parakramabahu I			1965
[23], [24]	5 rupees		Red	Parakramabahu I			1965
[25], [26]	10 rupees		Green	Parakramabahu I			1965
[27], [28]	50 rupees			Parakramabahu I			1965
[29], [30]	100 rupees			Parakramabahu I			1965

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Series, 1970

King Parakramabahu Series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[31]	50 rupees		Blue	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1970
[32]	100 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1970

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Series, 1971

King Parakramabahu Series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[33]	50 rupees		Purple	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1971
[34]	100 rupees			S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike			1971

Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka series, 1977

Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[35]	50 rupees		Light purple	Emblem	Terraced hillside	26 August 1977	1977
[36]	100 rupees		Light purple, gray	Emblem	26 August 1977	1977	1975

Fauna and Flora Series, 1979

Fauna and Flora Series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[37]	2 rupees		Red			26 March 1979	1979
[38]	5 rupees		Grey			26 March 1979	1979
[39]	10 rupees		Light green			26 March 1979	1979
[40]	20 rupees		Ash, light blue			26 March 1979	1979
[41]	50 rupees		Light blue			26 March 1979	1979
[42]	100 rupees		Yellow			26 March 1979	1979

Historical and Archaeological series, 1981

Historical and Archaeological series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[43]	5 rupees		Red			1 January 1982	1982
[44]	10 rupees		Green	Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic		1 January 1982 1 January 1985	1982
[45]	20 rupees		Purple	Moonstone		1 January 1982 1 January 1985	1982
[46]	50 rupees		Blue			1 January 1982	1982
[47]	100 rupees		Orange			1 January 1982	1982
[48]	500 rupees		Light brown			1 January 1981 1 January 1985	1981
[49]	1000 rupees		Light green	Dam	Peacock, mountains	1 January 1981 1 January 1985	1981

Historical and Development series, 1987

Historical and Development series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[50]	10 rupees		Green	Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic		1 January 1987 21 November 1988 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1987
[51]	20 rupees		Purple	Moonstone		21 November 1988 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1988
[52]	50 rupees		Blue			21 November 1988 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1988
[53]	100 rupees		Orange			1 January 1987 21 November 1988 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1987
[54]	500 rupees		Light brown			1 January 1987 21 November 1988 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1987
[55]	1000 rupees		Light green	Dam	Peacock, mountains	1 January 1987 21 February 1989 5 April 1990	1987

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	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[56], [57], [58]	10 rupees		Green	1 January 1991 1 July 1992 19 August 1994 15 November 1995 12 December 2001 10 April 2004 1 July 2004 19 November 2005 3 July 2006		A lion holding a sword
[59], [60], [61]	20 rupees	128 X 63 mm	Purple
[62], [63], [64]	50 rupees		Blue
[65], [66], [67], [68]	100 rupees	143 X 71 mm	Orange
[69], [70], [71]	500 rupees		Light orange and purple
[72], [73], [74]	1000 rupees	158 X 79 mm	Light green
[75]	2000 rupees		Orange	2 November 2005 3 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	Printed date	Issued date	Watermark
[76]	20 rupees	128 x 67 mm	Maroon	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Serendib scops owl
[77]	50 rupees	133 x 67 mm	Blue	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Dull-blue flycatcher
[78]	100 rupees	138 x 67 mm	Orange	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Orange-billed babbler
[79]	500 rupees	143 x 67 mm	Purple	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Emerald-collared parakeet
[80]	1000 rupees	148 x 67 mm	Green	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Hanging parrot
[81]	5000 rupees	153 x 67 mm	Gold	1 January 2010	4 February 2011	Yellow-eared bulbul

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

Commemorative notes

Main article: Sri Lankan commemorative notes

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has issued three 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.

Commemorative Banknotes of Sri Lanka
Image	Value	Description	Color	Dimensions	Printed date	Issued date	Material	Year	Watermark
[82]	200 rupees	50th Anniversary of Sri Lanka regaining Independence	Blue	146.5 x 73.0 mm	4 February 1998		polymer	1998	A lion holding a sword
[83]	1000 rupees	The ushering of peace and prosperity to Sri Lanka	Blue	157 X 78.5 mm	20 May 2009	17 November 2009	paper	2009	A lion holding a sword
[84]	500 rupees	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 held in Sri Lanka	Purple	143 x 67 mm	15 November 2013	15 November 2013	paper	2013	Emerald-collared parakeet

See also

• Coins of the Sri Lankan rupee

External links

• Currency Museum - Central Bank of Sri Lanka
• Ceylon/Sri Lanka Coins and Currency Database
• Banknote World