5 Rupees Banknote (Central Bank Of Ceylon Queen Elizabeth Ii)

5 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1952)

When Ceylon gained independence in 1948, the newly established Central Bank of Ceylon assumed responsibility for issuing and managing the island’s currency, replacing the former colonial monetary arrangements. The bank’s early note issues were pivotal instruments of national economic identity, reflecting both the continuity of British institutional design and the emerging character of a sovereign nation. The five rupee denomination of 3rd June 1952 sits at a particularly significant juncture in that transition, bearing the portrait of the reigning British monarch whilst carrying the name of Ceylon’s own central issuing authority. This combination of colonial and post-independence symbolism makes the note a compelling document of Ceylon’s monetary history in the years immediately following self-governance.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in tones of violet and lilac, with warm ochre and peach accents lending depth to the layered intaglio engraving. The left-hand side carries a finely engraved portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, depicted in a youthful likeness wearing a tiara and a pearl necklace, her gaze directed slightly to her right. The portrait is rendered with considerable delicacy, with fine line engraving capturing the detail of her hair and jewellery against a lightly patterned oval background. Across the upper portion of the note, the issuing authority is printed in bold serif capitals: “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON”, flanked on either side by small decorative rosette devices and the numeral “5” set within scroll cartouches at the upper corners. Sinhala script text appears immediately below the bank name along the upper left region, and Tamil script text is positioned along the lower right margin. At the centre of the note, the denomination is stated prominently in two lines of large bold serif type reading “FIVE RUPEES”, beneath which the issue date “3RD JUNE 1952” is printed in clear Roman type. A legal tender declaration in English is printed to the right of centre in smaller italic text, reading that the note is issued on behalf of the Government of Ceylon and is legal tender in Ceylon for the payment of any amount. Two manuscript facsimile signatures appear below the denomination text, attributed to the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank of Ceylon respectively. The serial number “C/7 924351” appears twice on the note — once in the upper right area and again in the lower left — printed in dark violet. A decorative guilloche border frames the entire design, with interlocking geometric rosette patterns at the corners providing additional visual security. The numeral “5” also appears in the lower left corner in bold type.

The reverse of the note is printed in a combination of green, purple-brown, and cream tones, with fine background guilloche lathe-work radiating in a sunburst pattern across the central field. At the upper centre, “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” is again printed in bold serif capitals, framed by an ornate band of interlocking geometric and floral fretwork that runs the full width of the note and forms an elaborate decorative border. The central vignette on the reverse depicts a large stone statue of a standing guardian figure, carved in a classical South Asian style, with multiple arms and elaborate headdress detail — consistent in appearance with the ancient rock-cut sculpture found at Polonnaruwa or similar historic sites in Ceylon. The figure stands on a plinth and is rendered in detailed intaglio engraving that conveys the texture of carved stone. To the right of this central vignette, the denomination “FIVE RUPEES” is printed in clean serif type. The numeral “5” appears in each of the four corners of the reverse design. Sinhala script text is visible along the lower left, and Tamil script text appears along the lower right, both providing the denomination in their respective languages. A printer’s imprint is visible along the lower edge of the note, identifying the security printer responsible for production. The border design is formed by repeated geometric tile-like motifs in green, giving the reverse a structured and symmetrical appearance overall.

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Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.