2013 - CHOGM Sri Lanka - 500 Rupee note slab

2013 - Sri Lanka - 500 Rupee note Slab
Commenwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

Rare unmarked Specimen of the CHOGM 2013 Sri Lanka commemorative on modified Rs 500 currency note dated 2013-11-15 with Serial T/51 000000 slabed in acrylic.

As stated on the slab

Presented By his Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa
President of Sri Lanka
in Commemoration of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
15-17 November 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka.y

On top

COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2013
COLOMBO
above coloured logos of CHOGAM 2013, Sri Lanka Arms, and CBSL at left middle and right.

Visible in background of above image is the white foam sheet that could be peeled away, and protected the surface of both sides of acrylic slab from being scratched.

It was not sold or issued to the public, and not mentioned in any media report. It is not even on display at the CBSL Economic History Museum, opened just before CHOGM. As the unstamped Specimen note has been properly encased in a sleeve before being slabbed it can probabaly even be removed from it.

Just under 2 years after the event, suddenly a few of these slabs appeared on the Numismatic Market on Chathm Street Fort and purchased by lucky collectors who got them before they were all gone. Rumour has it that 200 were made and most presented at CHOGM event.

Another slab was also issued by Standard Chartered Bank which was the Principal Sponsor of the Commonwealth Business Forum 2013

Standard Chartered Principal Sponsor
Commonwealth Business Forum 2013

However as this is an ordinary uncirculated CHOGM Rs 500 currency note has been held between two acrylic slabs with four steel bolts the note is not rare like the specimen.

Also released to CHOGM 2013 delegates was a Welcome Token given to CBSL free by The Royal Mint UK.