5 Sri Lankan Rupees Banknote (Polonnaruwa Vatadage)

5 Rupees Rupee (Issued 1982)

A warm coral-red dominates every surface of this 1982 Central Bank of Ceylon five-rupee note, ranging from a deep terracotta at the borders to a brighter vermillion across the central field, with pale cream paper providing contrast beneath the densely printed design. This sustained use of red across a single denomination was a deliberate convention in South Asian banknote design of the era, making quick denomination identification easy for everyday commerce. Traces of lighter pink wash appear in the unprinted watermark zone to the left of centre, further breaking the visual rhythm of the note. The overall effect is bold and immediately recognisable as a product of its period and region.

On the front, the note is printed in an all-over coral and red colour scheme with no central portrait — instead, the design is built around typography, architectural imagery and decorative patterning. Towards the upper left sits a large circular blank zone reserved for the watermark, surrounded by an elaborate guilloché border of fine repeating wave and scroll patterns that fill both the left and right margins with considerable intricacy. The issuing authority is identified in the upper central band, where “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” appears in clear serif capitals in English, flanked above by Sinhala script text and Tamil script text, all three language inscriptions forming the standard trilingual header used on Ceylon-era notes. A decorative floral and flame motif in deep red occupies the central lower area of the note, rendered in a stylised manner reminiscent of traditional Sri Lankan decorative arts. To the right of centre, a detailed engraved vignette depicts a circular stone building — identifiable as the Audience Hall at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy — shown with its characteristic pillared colonnade and tiered roof, rendered with fine line engraving that conveys considerable architectural depth. The serial number A/3 905389 appears twice: once in the upper right in red print and again in the lower left in the same typeface. The date 1982-01-01 is printed below the central decorative motif alongside what appear to be two facsimile signatures, one in cursive hand and one in block lettering, representing the Governor and another senior official of the Central Bank. The denomination numeral “5” appears prominently in the upper left corner and again in the lower left, while the words “Five Rupees” are printed in English along the lower edge, with corresponding Sinhala script and Tamil script denomination text also present. The entire composition is framed by a repeating border pattern of interlocking geometric and floral elements typical of the era’s intaglio and letterpress printing conventions.

The reverse is printed in a combination of deep reddish-brown and dusky purple-red tones, producing a slightly cooler overall palette than the front. The central image is a large, finely engraved depiction of a stone relief sculpture — an ancient carved figure in a classical South Asian pose, flanked by decorative columns and additional smaller carved elements at the base, consistent with the sculptural heritage of Sri Lankan temple art. The figure is shown in a three-quarter stance with raised arms, rendered with remarkable attention to the surface texture of carved stone, the engraver capturing the layered relief of the original artwork with delicate cross-hatching and tonal variation. Above this central vignette, a circular blank watermark zone is again visible in the upper left, bordered by the same guilloché scroll framework that appears on the front. The “CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON” inscription appears again in the upper centre in English, with Sinhala script text above it. The denomination is repeated in Sinhala script and Tamil script in the lower central band, with “Five Rupees” appearing in English along the very bottom edge. The numeral “5” is positioned in the upper left corner, and the lower border incorporates a repeating decorative band of small stylised motifs. The paper throughout shows the fine laid texture associated with banknote-grade cotton-rag stock of the period.

Wondering who buys foreign coins and notes? Webuyallcurrency.com does — a 1982 Central Bank of Ceylon five-rupee banknote like this is accepted alongside other old or withdrawn Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes, so you can exchange the lot for cash at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 5 Rupees Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com buys and exchanges foreign currency of every kind, so your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes — withdrawn or current — can be sold for cash together with the rest of your leftover coins and notes.

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