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

20 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1979)

The 1979 Central Bank of Ceylon 20 Rupees note belongs to a distinctly naturalist tradition in banknote design, eschewing the portraiture conventions common to contemporary Commonwealth currency in favour of richly illustrated botanical and zoological vignettes rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The overall layout philosophy draws on a horizontal format with wide, open vignette fields that allow the illustrated wildlife subjects to breathe across the note’s surface, producing an effect closer to a natural history plate than a conventional monetary document. Soft pastel ground tints in pale pink, lilac and green underpin the design, while the engraved linework gives depth and texture to the central imagery. The aesthetic is consistent with the nature-themed currency programme adopted by the Central Bank of Ceylon during this era, celebrating the island’s remarkable biodiversity.

On the front, the dominant central image is a large, finely engraved depiction of the Spotted Dove, identified by the Latin caption “Columba torringtoni” printed in small text beneath the bird — a species closely associated with the island’s fauna. The dove is rendered in warm pink and grey tones with detailed feather patterning, perched amongst stylised foliage and leafy branches that spread across the centre of the note. To the right of the central vignette, a second wildlife element is visible: a primate — identified by the small caption as “Presbytis entellus monticola,” a grey langur monkey — is shown climbing or resting in a tree, engraved in fine grey linework against the lighter background. Below the central bird, a third zoological caption reads “Syzygium rotundifolium,” indicating a botanical element also incorporated into the design. To the far left, the denomination numeral “20” appears twice — once in a large ornate guilloché rosette in dark ink at the upper left, and again in bold olive-green numerals at the lower left. Flanking these numerals, Sinhala script and Tamil script denomination text run vertically down the left-hand margin in dark ink. The issuing authority text “Central Bank of Ceylon” appears in Latin script, and additional text in Sinhala and Tamil scripts is printed in vertical bands on the left side of the note. The serial number K/19 330706 appears in dark teal ink in the upper right area and is repeated in the lower left in matching teal. The date 1979-03-26 is printed in small numerals within the text block on the left side. Two facsimile signatures of bank officials appear within the lower text area. The numeral “20” is repeated in large bold dark teal figures at the right margin. The overall ground colour is a pale pink-lilac with green tonal areas behind the wildlife vignette, and fine guilloché rosette patterns appear at multiple points across the surface.

The reverse presents a lush tropical scene dominated by a tall, graceful palm tree rendered in green intaglio engraving at the centre of the composition, its fronds spreading across the upper portion of the vignette against a soft blue and grey mountainous background suggesting a coastal or highland landscape. Perched among the upper fronds is a vivid red bird, identified by the small caption “Kittia ceylanis” printed nearby, its bright crimson plumage contrasting with the cool green and blue tones of the surrounding scene. At the lower left of the main vignette, a further animal is depicted — a mongoose or similar small mammal, identified by the caption “Herpestes edwardsii” — resting amongst ground-level vegetation and roots at the base of the palm. To the lower right, a small lizard or reptile is visible, with the caption “Agamidae species” or similar scientific text appearing beneath it. In the upper left corner, the denomination numeral “20” appears in dark brown-red ink, while a decorative guilloché rosette appears in the upper right corner. The “Central Bank of Ceylon” text is printed in Latin script across the top of the reverse, accompanied by Sinhala and Tamil script renderings of the bank name. Along the lower margin, the words “Twenty Rupees” appear in Latin script, with corresponding Sinhala and Tamil script denomination text running alongside. The ground tints of the reverse incorporate pale blue and soft pink hues, with fine background engraving providing texture to the sky and landscape areas.

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• Indicate the quantity of 20 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, 50, 100, 200.