Sri Lankan rupee

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Sri Lankan rupee
இலங்கை ரூபாய் (Tamil)
50-rupee note
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 (112 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.

Contents

[edit] 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

[edit] Commemorative coins

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


[edit] Banknotes

Reverse of the Sri Lankan 20 rupee banknote
Enlarge
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 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.

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

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 1979 Fauna and Flora Series

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 1956 Armorial Ensign of Ceylon

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

[edit] 1952 Queen Elizabeth II

1952 Queen Elizabeth Series
Image Value Dimensions Color Obverse Reverse Printed Date Issued Date Watermark
One Rupee Light Blue 1952
Current LKR exchange rates
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[edit] External links



Rupees
Current Indian rupee | Indonesian rupiah | Maldivian rufiyaa | Mauritian rupee | Nepalese rupee | Pakistani rupee | Seychellois rupee | Sri Lankan rupee
Defunct Afghan rupee | Bhutanese rupee | Burmese rupee | Danish Indian rupee | (British) East African rupee | French Indian rupee | German East African rupie | Gulf rupee | Hyderabad rupee | Italian Somaliland rupia | Netherlands Indian roepiah | Portuguese Indian rupia | Riau rupiah | Travancore rupee | West New Guinean rupiah | Zanzibari rupee
Fictional Hyrulean rupee
See also History of the rupee
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