1979 - Sri Lanka - Flora and Fauna
100 Rupee note

The Central Bank of Ceylon (CBSL) issued, for circulation, in 1979 a series of currency Notes based on the paintings by Laki Senanayake on the theme Endemic Flora and Fauna of Sri Lanka dated 1979-03-26 and issued into circulation in 1980 August.
images/1979_03_26_lkff_100r_uvf.jpg images/1979_03_26_lkff_100r_uvb.jpg
Click on image to see Note Security under Ultra-Violet illumination
Flora and Fauna on both front and back are identified by Scientific names printed next to it in English italic font.
Predominant Color :Front - Yellow-orange with french-grey, grey-green, tan-brown, brown-red and yellow.
:Back - Yellow-orange with french-grey, and yellow.
Size: 156 x 76 mm
Front: Landscape
Numeric 100 at all four corners. At top left of center the value රුපියල් සියයයි in Sinhala. நூறு ரூபாய் in Thamil, and ONE HUNDRED RUPEES in English, in arcs above and below Numeric 100 on upper left.
Below Horizontal Date 1978-03-26
Vertical on lower left in Sinhala, ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව, with smaller Legality Legend in 3 lines
ශ්‍රී ලංකාණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කරන ලද මේ
මුදල් නෝට්ටුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඇතුළත ඕනෑම මුදල් ගණනක්
ගෙවිම සඳහා නිතියෙන් වලංගුය
Two Facsimile signatures above මුදල් ඈමති, and next මහ බැංකුවේ අධිපති.
இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and
CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON in English.
Horizontal Serial number on bottom left and upper right.
Two Ceylon Hill Myna, the grackle bird (Gracula ptilogenys) and above them the golden palm civet cat (Paradoxurus zeylonensis) atop a Ceylon wild Mango tree (Mangifera zeylanica). At centre appear the Talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) and in the lower half, between the palm and pair of buds, the moderately venomous Ceylon green pit viper (Trimeresurus trigonocephalus), all against a scenic background.
Back: Portrait
Numeric 100 at upper left. ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala, இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON in English, in 3 lines of decreasing font size, justified on upper right.
රුපියල් සියයයි in Sinhala. நூறு ரூபாய் in Thamil, and ONE HUNDRED RUPEES in English, in 3 lines of decreasing font size justified on lower right.
At centre are two yellow-fronted barbet birds (Megalaima flavifrons) on and in hollow of a tree (Horsfieldia iriyaghedi) which is used for timber. A Ceylon Tree Nymph butterfly, (Idea lynceus jasonia) at bottom left, and flowering plants (Areca concinna) at bottom right, set off against a scenic background.
Watermark: Lion standing on hind legs facing left with bent whip in right paw, Lion Lighter with outline including whip darker than paper.
Security Thin polyester thread of 1 mm width embedded in note. Micro-printing background a grid vertical lines distorted by non-uniform pattern.
UV Printing: Front: Signature, Date and Serial Numbers, and lower left Numeric Value in Green. Outlines of Flag Lion with Sword in raised right paw; Two small on left, two larger to right, in Orange.
Back: center band including bird and leaves and parts of semi circular Shell pattern in center both left and right in Greenish Yellow.
Latent image: In the middle of foliage Upper right of center, the Numeric value 100 written italic with horizontal lines on vertical line background, as seen on this 1200 dpi scan on right.

Denom.Date on
BankNote   
Finance MinisterCBSL GovernorFirst Serial #Mintage
in K
Rs.100 1979-03-26 Ronnie de Mel Warnasena Rasaputram Z/1 000001 10,000
Minister of Finance Governor
Central Bank of Ceylon
1979-03-26
Ronnie de Mel Warnasena Rasaputram

This series does NOT have Replacements. The prefix letter is Z on all the Rs 100 notes. Since Z was used after 1991, PMG has by error without checking certified few notes as Replacements which have been listed at ridiculous prices at some leading Auctions to ignorant buyers. In the case o Heritage Auctions they changed Listing when reported, and it did not sell. It appeared 2 months later on eBay and was not corrected when reported. It is not sold. Stacks & Bowers did not correct the Auction listing when reported, but said they will make an announcement at the podium before the item is sold. It sold 16% below lower estimete. PMG Population Report lists 250 have been Slabbed with about 10% as Replacement notes when all of them have Z prefix :-).

This Note displays Endemic Sri Lanka Flora and Fauna, The 5 in Front and 4 in Back are all found in Low altitudes Wet Zone.

Text edited from book Sri Lanka Currency of Recent Times 1938 - 1985 by Mr. T M U Sallay 1986 CBSL Colombo.
For collected details of the Flora and Fauna see NotesCollector.
The note was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.