1000 Sri Lankan Rupees Banknote (Sri Lanka Dancers Series)

1,000 Rupees Rupee (Issued 2010-2024)

Millions of the 1,000 Rupee notes from the 2010–2024 series have circulated throughout Sri Lanka during one of the country’s most significant periods of economic and political transformation, making well-preserved uncirculated examples increasingly difficult to source outside the island. As the highest commonly circulated denomination in everyday Sri Lankan commerce, these notes passed through countless hands in markets, hotels, and businesses across the country, meaning heavily worn examples far outnumber crisp, unfolded specimens. The note’s combination of culturally rich imagery, sophisticated security architecture, and trilingual text has made it a reference point for those studying South Asian currency design. Historians and currency enthusiasts alike regard this issue as a concise visual document of modern Sri Lankan national identity.

On the front, the note is dominated by a fresh, predominantly light green palette that washes across the entire face in soft gradients, offset by warmer orange and brown tones in the decorative and pictorial elements. The central image depicts the Ramboda Tunnel, a significant engineering landmark on the Colombo–Kandy highway, rendered with fine-line engraving that captures the arched stonework entrance framed by dense tropical foliage and a mature tree to the left. A label reading “RAMBODA TUNNEL” appears beneath the image in small Roman capitals. To the right of centre, a large and vividly coloured illustration of a Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot — depicted in flight with bright red and green plumage — provides a striking natural history accent that contrasts sharply with the cool green background. To the lower left, an orange and brown Butterfly adds a second piece of Sri Lankan fauna. The large bold numeral “1000” appears twice on the face: once in large white numerals to the lower left and again in bold green-tinted numerals to the lower right, the latter printed vertically along the right margin. The serial number S/2 279145 is printed twice in red — horizontally in the upper left and vertically along the right edge. The issuing authority is identified in Sinhala script at the top, followed by Tamil script, and then the Roman text “CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA” in a clean serif typeface beneath the central band at the top. A date of 2010-01 is printed in small text near the lower centre. Two signatures in cursive appear beneath the central vignette, corresponding to the Governor and another senior official of the Central Bank. A vertical embedded security thread with demetallised shifting elements runs through the note’s centre. The denomination text along the lower edge reads, in Roman script, “ONE THOUSAND RUPEES”, flanked by corresponding Sinhala and Tamil script denominations. The background is filled with fine guilloché latticework patterns in pale green and yellow, incorporating a geometric lozenge design across the upper register and a repeated Sri Lanka lion crest watermark motif visible when the note is held to the light.

The reverse presents a bold and ceremonially rich composition dominated by two traditionally costumed Kandyan drummers rendered in detailed multicolour intaglio-style printing against the note’s characteristic light green ground. The figure to the left is shown playing a large traditional drum — identifiable as a Geta Beraya — wearing a white cloth, a red sash across the torso, and an ornate headdress, while the figure to the right holds a fan of decorative foliage and appears similarly dressed in ceremonial white and red attire with jewelled accessories and a traditional headdress. Both figures are depicted with strong, precise line work and rich warm tones of red, orange, and brown that stand out vividly against the cooler background. The issuing authority name appears across the upper left in three scripts: Sinhala script at the top, Tamil script below it, and then the Roman text “CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA” in a serif typeface. To the upper right, a vertical column contains an intricately detailed decorative panel featuring a deity or ceremonial figure within an ornate cartouche rendered in orange and red, which also serves as the location of the security thread window visible from the reverse. The large bold numeral “1000” appears in the upper left corner and again in the lower right corner. Along the lower edge, the denomination is again expressed in Sinhala script, Tamil script, and finally in Roman capitals reading “ONE THOUSAND RUPEES”. The background behind the central figures is filled with fine guilloché wave and lattice patterning in pale green, giving the note depth and anti-counterfeiting texture throughout.

If you have a 1,000 Rupee Sri Lanka banknote to exchange, Webuyallcurrency.com takes it as part of its leftover currency service, combining your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes with other world coins and banknotes in one easy payout.

• Indicate the quantity of 1,000 Rupees Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

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, 10, 20, 50, 100.