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

5 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1979)

Few post-independence Sri Lankan banknotes capture the island’s extraordinary biodiversity as vividly as this 1979 five-rupee issue from the Central Bank of Ceylon, which stands apart from its contemporaries through its remarkable decision to replace portraiture entirely with detailed natural history illustration. A currency specialist examining this note would immediately be struck by the engraved precision applied to the fauna depicted, a level of craftsmanship more commonly associated with much higher denominations. Dated 1979-03-26, this withdrawn issue represents the final years of the “Central Bank of Ceylon” title before the institution’s rebranding to reflect the newly declared republic’s identity. The combination of zoological accuracy and delicate guilloché work makes it a technically accomplished piece of mid-century Commonwealth currency printing.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in soft mauves and lilacs, with a pale cream base paper lending warmth to the overall palette. The central and right-hand portion of the face is dominated by two naturalistically rendered creatures: in the upper right, a large butterfly with dark, elaborately patterned wings is depicted perched among foliage, identified in small printed Latin text as Kallima philarchus. Below and to the right, a strikingly marked lizard is rendered with considerable engraved detail, with its identification printed in small italic Latin text reading Gonocephalus yathuuna zonatus, positioned along the lower-right margin. Both creatures are set against a lush background of tropical vegetation, stems, and leaf forms executed in fine intaglio line work that gives the illustrations genuine depth and texture. To the upper left, a bold numeral “5” is enclosed within an ornate circular guilloché rosette printed in deeper purple, and at the very upper left edge the words “FIVE RUPEES” appear in Roman lettering. Sinhala script text runs vertically along the left-hand side and also appears at the top of the note, while Tamil script text is present alongside the Sinhala. The issuing authority “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” is printed in clear Roman capitals across the centre of the note, accompanied by what appears to be the Governor’s signature in manuscript form. The serial number F 2 / 527642 appears twice: once in the lower centre and once in the upper right, both printed in red. The date 1979-03-26 is printed in black numerals across the upper central area. A security thread is embedded vertically through the paper, visible as a dark line running through the body of the note.

The reverse presents an equally accomplished work of natural history illustration, rendered in a harmonious palette of greens, warm browns, and soft mauves that complement the face design. The dominant central image is a large, furry mammal — a Sri Lankan palm squirrel or tree squirrel — depicted clinging head-downward to a tree trunk or branch, its bushy tail raised above its body in a pose of animated movement. The creature is rendered with fine engraved line work that conveys the texture of its coat convincingly. To the lower centre of the reverse, a small bird — depicted with delicate stippled engraving showing spotted or streaked plumage — stands on a branch amid broad tropical leaves, likely representing one of Sri Lanka’s endemic forest bird species. The background is composed of dense tropical foliage, tall tree forms, hanging vines, and white floral blooms, all executed in layered green tones that create an impression of depth within the forest scene. At the very top of the reverse, Sinhala script text appears on one line, followed by Tamil script text below it, and beneath that the English text “Central Bank of Ceylon” is printed clearly in serif capitals. At the lower portion of the note, Sinhala script appears above Tamil script, with the English denomination text “Five Rupees” printed in clear Roman lettering at the base. The numeral “5” appears in the upper left corner of the reverse in a strong, serif typeface. The border of the reverse features a repeating guilloché frame in muted mauve tones that contains the entire illustrated composition.

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