100 Rupees Central Bank Of Ceylon Banknote (Fauna And Flora Series)

100 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1979)

In 1979, Sri Lanka’s economy was anchored by the export of tea, rubber, and coconut products, with the 100 Rupee note circulating at a value significant enough to facilitate wholesale trade, agricultural transactions, and government payments across the island. The Central Bank of Ceylon, which retained its colonial-era name despite the country’s republican status, issued this series during a period of economic liberalisation introduced under the open economic policies of the late 1970s. Foreign exchange, textile imports, and tourism were among the sectors expanding rapidly at this time, and notes of this denomination would have passed through commercial hands daily. The note belongs to the distinctive Post Independence Issue series, which celebrated Sri Lanka’s natural heritage through detailed wildlife illustration rather than portraiture.

On the front, the design is dominated by a richly illustrated natural scene rendered in fine intaglio and lithographic printing across a warm palette of greens, golds, and ochres. At the left side, a large ornate oval cartouche printed in deep brown and orange contains the numeral “100” in bold relief, surrounded by radiating guilloché patterning. To the left of centre, a vertical band carries Sinhala script text running downward, while the issuing authority name “Central Bank of Ceylon” appears in English across the lower central area. Sinhala script text also appears prominently at the top centre of the note, and additional Sinhala and Tamil script inscriptions are visible in multiple positions across the face. The issue date 1979-03-26 is printed in the left-centre area along with two signature lines accompanied by their respective titles, rendered in small black typography. The serial number Z/6 731180 appears twice — once in the upper right quadrant and again along the lower right — printed in dark ink. The central and right-hand portion of the note is occupied by an intricate botanical and zoological illustration featuring a large fan palm or talipot palm at the centre, its fronds spreading upward and outward in detailed green tones. In the lower right area, two dark-plumaged birds with white facial markings are depicted perched among foliage — identifiable as Sri Lanka hill mynas or a related species — drawn with considerable ornithological precision. Above and to the right, a small monkey with golden-brown fur is shown clinging to branches within a lush leafy canopy, while in the lower central portion, a coiled snake rendered in grey-green tones rests among ground-level vegetation. The overall background of the note carries a subtle warm cream-to-golden hue, and fine multicoloured microprinting and guilloché lathe-work patterns are visible across the margins and borders.

The reverse of the note continues the wildlife and botanical theme in an equally detailed composition printed in cooler greens, greys, and muted yellows against a light cream background. The denomination “100” appears prominently in the upper left corner in large bold numerals, accompanied by Sinhala script text to its right reading across the top, alongside the English text “Central Bank of Ceylon” at the upper right. The main central illustration depicts a large tree rendered with fine engraved linework, its dark trunk textured with woodpecker holes and rising through the composition. Perched on branches near the trunk is a green bird — identified in the printed scientific caption as Megalaima flavifrons, the yellow-fronted barbet, a species endemic to Sri Lanka — its plumage rendered in bright greens with yellow facial colouring. Leafy branches in varying shades of green extend across the upper half of the note, with a softer, lighter background suggesting hills or clouds in pale washes. In the lower portion of the reverse, a large butterfly with cream and white patterned wings is illustrated with considerable entomological detail against the lower left area, identified by a small printed caption in Latin script as Idea iasonia or a related species. To the lower right, a second botanical or faunal element and additional caption text appear. Along the very bottom of the note, Sinhala script text runs across the lower edge to the left, with Tamil script text to the right, and the English text “One Hundred Rupees” is printed centrally at the bottom in clear serif typography.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 100 Rupees Sri Lanka banknote and other old or withdrawn Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 100 Rupees Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
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From leftover holiday money to inherited collections, Webuyallcurrency.com will exchange or buy your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes and other foreign currency, handling old and withdrawn pieces in the same simple process.

Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 200.