Sri Lankan rupee

Sri Lankan rupee
இலங்கை ரூபாய் (Tamil)

50-rupee note
ISO 4217 Code	LKR
User(s)	Sri Lanka
Inflation	11.2%
Source	The World Factbook, 2005 est.
Subunit
1/100	cents
Symbol	Rs or ₨ (possibly also SLRs or SL₨)
Coins
Freq. used	25, 50 cents, Rs. 1, Rs. 2, Rs. 5
Rarely used	1, 2, 5, 10 cents
Banknotes	Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500, Rs. 1000
Central bank	Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Website	www.cbsl.lk
Printer	De la Rue Lanka Currency and Securities Print (Pvt) Ltd
Website	www.delarue.com
Mint	Royal Mint, United Kingdom
Website	www.royalmint.com

The rupee is the official currency of Sri Lanka, divided into 100 cents. The currency code is LKR. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and is generally written ₨ (though SL₨ may occasionally be used for disambiguation).

Until 1870, the British pound was Ceylon's official currency, having replaced the rixdollar in 1828. Quarter farthings (one sixteenth of a penny), half farthings (one eighth of a penny) and three halfpennies (1¹⁄₂ pence) were issued in addition to those coins used in Britain.

The rupee was introduced in 1870. It was equal to the Indian rupee and replaced the British currency at a rate of 1 rupee = 2 shillings 3 pence. Unlike the Indian rupee, it was a decimal currency from the outset.

In December 2005, a new set of coins with denominations 5 rupee, 2 rupee, 1 rupee, 50 cents and 25 cents have been released, for circulation along side the older coins.

The lower cent denominations of 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent and 10 cent, although legal tender are not seen in circulation and not issued by the bank in general.

Coins

The obverse of the coin carries the Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka. The reverse of the coin the value in numerals and in Sinhala, Tamil and English below and year of issue at the bottom with SRI LANKA in Sinhala on top. On 14 December 2005, the Sri Lanka central bank issued a new series of coins in the denominations of

• 25 cents
• 50 cents
• 1 rupee
• 2 rupees
• 5 rupees

The observe and reverse designs of the new coins remained identical to the exsisting circulating coins of the same denominations. However their weights and alloys have been changed for easy identification purposes.

Current Coins of Sri Lanka
Image	Value	Obverse	Reserve	Dimensions	Weight	Year
	25 cents		Armorial Ensign			2005
	50 cents		Armorial Ensign			2005
	One rupee		Armorial Ensign			2005
	Two rupees		Armorial Ensign			2005
	Five rupees		Armorial Ensign			2005

Commemorative coins

Five rupee coin issued to commemorate Sri Lanka's victory at the 1996 Cricket World Cup

Coins in denominations of 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 rupees issued as commemorative coins were also in circulation at the end of 2003. Commemorative coins issued by Sri Lanka central bank include:

• 1957 5 rupee "2500th Buddha Jayanthi"
• 1968 2 rupee "Second World Food Congress"
• 1976 2 & 5 rupee "5th Non-Aligned Nations Summit Conference - Colombo"
• 1978 1 rupee "First Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka"
• 1981 5 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Universal Adult Franchise in Sri Lanka"
• 1981 2 rupee "Accelerated Mahaweli Scheme"
• 1987 10 rupee "International Year of Shelter for the Homeless"
• 1990 500 rupee "40th Anniversary of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka"
• 1991 100 & 500 rupee "5th South Asian Games held in Colombo - December 1991"
• 1992 1 rupee "3rd Anniversary of the Induction of the President R. Premadasa"
• 1993 500 rupee "2300th Anubudu Mihindu Jayanthi"
• 1995 2 rupee "50th Anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation"
• 1995 5 rupee "50th Anniversary of the UNO"
• 1996 1 rupee "50th Anniversary of the United Nations Childrens Fund"
• 1998 1000 & 5000 rupee "50th Anniversary of Independence - Sri Lanka"
• 1999 1000 rupee "Cricket World Cup"
• 1999 1 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army"
• 2000 1000 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka"
• 2000 1 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Navy"
• 2001 1 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air force"
• 2001 2 rupee "50th Anniversary of the Colombo Plan"
• 2003 5 rupees "250th Anniversary of Syamopali Maha Nikaya, Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters" (Two Coins)

Commemorative Coins of Sri Lanka
Image	Value	Description	Obverse	Reserve	Dimensions	Weight	Year
	5 Rupees	Buddha Jayanthi					1957
	100 Rupees	South Asian Games					1991
	500 Rupees	South Asian Games					1991
	One Rupee	Sri Lanka Army					1999
	1000 Rupees	Cricket World Cup					1999
	1000 Rupees	50th Anniversary Central Bank					2000
	One Rupee	President Premadasa					1991
	1000 Rupees	Independence					1998
	One Rupee	Sri Lanka Navy					2000
	500 Rupees	Mihindu Jayanthi					1993
	5 Rupees	50th Anniversary, United Nations					1995
	500 Rupees	40th Anniversary Central Bank					1990

Banknotes

Reverse of the Sri Lankan 20 rupee banknote

Sri Lankan banknotes are unusual in that they are printed vertically on the reverse. The currency note of 200-rupee is printed on a polymer substrate. Banknotes are printed bythe 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.

• 10 rupees
• 20 rupees
• 50 rupees
• 100 rupees
• 200 rupees (1998 polymer note still seen in circulation)
• 500 rupees
• 1000 rupees
• 2000 rupees (17th October 2006)

Previous Banknote Series

• 1951 "King George VI"
• 1952 "Queen Elizabeth II"
• 1956 "Armorial Ensign of Ceylon"
• 1962 "S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake portrait"
• 1965 "Vignette of Parakramabahu, The Great"
• 1970 "S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake portrait"
• 1975 "Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka"
• 1979 "Fauna and Flora"
• 1981 "Historical and Archaeological Theme"
• 1987 "Historical and Development Theme"
• 1991 "Sri Lanka Heritage"
• 1998 "50th Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka" (Commemorative 200 rupee polymer note)

Heritage Series

Current Series in Circulation
Observe	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	Color	Date
		10 Rupees		Green	December 12, 2001
		20 Rupees		Purple	December 12, 2001
		50 Rupees		Blue	December 12, 2001
		100 Rupees		Orange	December 12, 2001
		500 Rupees		Light Orange and Purple	December 12, 2001
		1000 Rupees		Light Green	December 12, 2001

1981 Historical and Archaeological Theme

1981 Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		5 Rupees		Red			1982
		10 Rupees		Green			1990
		20 Rupees		Purple			1990
		50 Rupees		Blue			1982
		500 Rupees		Light Brown			1981
		1000 Rupees		Light Green			1991

1979 Fauna and Flora Series

2 Rupees	5 Rupees	10 Rupees	20 Rupees
50 Rupees	100 Rupees

1977 Armorial Ensign of Sri Lanka

1977 Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		100 Rupees		Light Purple, Gray			1977

1970 S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake portrait

1965 Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		50 Rupees		Purple, Light Green			1974

1965 Vignette of Parakramabahu, The Great

1965 Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		5 Rupees		Red			1974
		10 Rupees		Green			1971

1956 Armorial Ensign of Ceylon

1956 Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		One Rupee		Light Blue			1963

1952 Queen Elizabeth II

1952 Queen Elizabeth Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Color	Obverse	Reverse	Printed Date	Issued Date	Watermark
		One Rupee		Light Blue			1952

External links

• Ceylon & Sri Lanka Collectables - Banknotes & Coins
• Current Coins of Sri Lanka
• Ancient Coins of Sri Lanka
• Banknotes of Sri Lanka
• Polymer Banknotes of Sri Lanka
• Images of Current and Previous Coins of Sri Lanka
• Medieval Coins of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
• Dutch V.O.C coins of Ceylon
• The Sinhala copper coinage of the 12th to 15th centuries
• Early coinage of Sri Lanka

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