10 Rupees Central Bank Of Ceylon Banknote (Armorial Ensign Series)

10 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1956-1963)

The Central Bank of Ceylon was established in 1950 as the newly independent island nation sought to assert full monetary sovereignty following centuries of colonial financial administration. During the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, Ceylon’s banking system was navigating the twin pressures of post-independence nation-building and the management of a predominantly agricultural export economy centred on tea, rubber, and coconut. The ten-rupee denomination occupied a position of everyday practical significance within the currency hierarchy, representing a meaningful sum for ordinary transactions during this period. Notes issued under the Arms Issue series carried the institutional weight of the Central Bank of Ceylon and reflected the country’s confident assertion of a distinct national identity through its heraldic and cultural iconography.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in shades of green and violet, with the overall composition framed by decorative borders incorporating fine geometric and guilloché patterning. In the upper portion, the name of the issuing institution appears in Sinhala script — ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව — running prominently across the top of the note. To the left of centre sits the central emblem of Ceylon: a circular seal depicting the Sri Lanka lion — the Sinhala lion holding a sword — enclosed within an ornate circular frame adorned with petals and scrollwork, rendered in green engraving with considerable detail. The denomination “TEN RUPEES” is printed in English in the upper left field, while to the right the serial number L/55 475972 appears in clear, upright numerals. A date, reading 1957·5·3, is visible near the centre of the note alongside what appears to be a handwritten or printed signature and authorising text in Sinhala script. The denomination numeral “10” appears in each corner of the note, repeated again in Sinhala script along the lower edge — பத்து ரூபாய் in Tamil script at the lower right and the equivalent in Sinhala at the lower left. Towards the lower centre, a decorative vignette features two intertwined fish or sea creatures rendered in fine engraved linework, forming an ornamental motif above further guilloché patterns. The paper itself shows signs of circulation, with the green and violet inks remaining distinguishable across the note’s face.

The reverse is printed in a more vivid palette combining deep purple, rich green, and warm yellow-gold tones, with the composition structured around a striking central vignette. Within an arched architectural frame supported by columns decorated with stylised palm frond or lotus leaf motifs, a finely engraved figure is depicted — a classical sculptural representation of a deity or celestial figure from traditional Sri Lankan iconography, standing in a tribhanga pose and adorned with an elaborate headdress composed of tiered floral or foliate elements. The figure holds what appears to be a vessel or offering in one hand, and two smaller crouching attendant figures or animals are visible at the base. This central image is rendered in dark green engraving of considerable fineness and depth. To the left of the central arch, a broad panel of guilloché latticework fills the field in light green against a paler ground. To the right, the denomination “TEN RUPEES” is printed in large spaced serif capitals in the same green tone. The numeral “10” appears in each corner of the reverse — the upper two rendered in purple against the decorative border, and the lower two integrated into the corner rosette patterns. In the upper left, the denomination appears in Sinhala script, and in the upper right in Tamil script — රු පියල් දනයසි and பத்து ரூபாய் respectively. Along the very bottom of the reverse, in a bold serif typeface, the issuing authority name “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” is printed in full across a plain band, providing clear institutional attribution. The outer border of the reverse incorporates repeating floral and geometric rosette elements in purple and green, creating a layered frame around the entire design.

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• Indicate the quantity of 10 Rupees Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
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Webuyallcurrency.com is a simple way to exchange or sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash — current or withdrawn — turning your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes and any other leftover currency into one straightforward payout.

Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 20, 50, 100, 200.