100 Rupees Central Bank Of Ceylon Banknote (Swrd Bandaranaike Swearing Oath)

100 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1970)

Fewer surviving examples of the 1970-dated Central Bank of Ceylon 100 Rupees note are found in circulated condition each year, as the vast majority were either worn beyond recognition during active use or destroyed upon withdrawal from circulation. Ceylon transitioned to Sri Lanka in 1972, making notes bearing the “Central Bank of Ceylon” title a tangible document of the country’s final years under that name, which has drawn sustained interest from currency historians and those researching South Asian monetary history. The specific date inscription of 1970-10-26 printed on this issue ties it to a precise moment in Ceylonese political history, adding a layer of documentary significance beyond its face value. Examples that retain legible serial numbers and intact paper, even in heavily circulated grades, are increasingly difficult to source through general circulation channels.

On the front, the dominant feature of this predominantly deep rose-pink and crimson note is the portrait of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first female prime minister, positioned to the right of centre. She is depicted smiling and raising her right hand in a greeting gesture, rendered in a detailed intaglio-style engraving that captures the folds of her white sari and the expression of her face with considerable precision. To the upper left, the issuing authority is identified in bold capital Roman lettering as “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON,” set beneath a line of Sinhala script and a second line of Tamil script, both reading the equivalent title. Above these inscriptions sits the Ceylonese lion emblem, depicted facing left and holding a sword, framed within an ornate panel. The denomination numeral “100” appears in the upper left corner within a decorative bordered box and is repeated in the lower left and lower right corners. The serial number E/II 41507 is printed twice in dark red ink — once in the upper right field and once in the lower left — in a clean serif typeface. The date 1970-10-26 is printed in the central text panel alongside what appear to be two lines of facsimile signatures rendered in cursive script with accompanying Sinhala designations. The lower edge of the note carries the denomination in Sinhala script reading “රුපියල් සීයයි” and in Tamil “நூறு ரூபாய்,” flanking the English text “ONE HUNDRED RUPEES” in bold capitals. Guilloché lathe-work patterns form delicate repeating rosette and fine-line geometric backgrounds across the central field, providing both decorative texture and a basic security function. The overall paper has a slightly textured feel consistent with the security printing stock used by the Central Bank of Ceylon during this period.

The reverse continues the deep rose-pink and crimson colour palette and opens with the same trilingual bank title across the upper portion: Sinhala script for “ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකු” at the top, followed by Tamil script and then “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” in Roman capitals. The numeral “100” is placed in both the upper left and upper right corners within bordered panels matching the style of the front. The central design of the reverse features a standing male figure to the left, depicted bare-chested and wearing a traditional wrapped cloth, playing a large barrel drum with both hands in a pose of animated performance. To his right, the engraving shows three female figures in elaborate traditional costume and jewellery, their headdresses and ornamental dress rendered with fine line engraving to capture the detail of classical Kandyan dance attire. These figures represent the traditional performing arts of Ceylon, a cultural motif chosen to reflect national heritage on the highest denomination note then in circulation. Below the central figural scene, the denomination is repeated in Sinhala “රුපියල් සීයයි,” Tamil “நூறு ரூபாய்,” and English “ONE HUNDRED RUPEES” in the same trilingual format as the front. A guilloché-patterned rectangular panel to the right of the “100” numeral in the lower right provides additional fine-line decorative security printing. The paper shows some show-through from the front printing, consistent with the note’s age and single-substrate construction.

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• Indicate the quantity of 100 Rupees Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
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Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 200.