Replacement R Series
Sri Lanka : 1987-1990 : Series 9
Sri Lanka Historical and Development

The English name The Central Bank of Sri Lanka was adopted in 1986 and (CBSL) issued in for circulation, Currency Notes in a series of notes that was called Sri Lanka Historical and Development.

Replacement Notes were used with prefix R/1, R/3, R/4, R/5, R/7, R/8 for denominations Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 100, Rs 500, Rs 1000 respectively. From 1987-1990 the Number of Notes printed for these denominations was 185M, 50M, 28M, 76M, 21M, 19M. The Rs10 and Rs100 which are the denominations with the highest mintage have been allocated an additional prefix R/2 and R/6 which were probabaly never used.

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Front ImageValue
Rs
Date on NotePrefixRegular
Issue K
Total
Issue K
Lakdiva
Note S#
CommentNo
images/dl/1988-11-21_R1-212616_10r.jpg&images/sj/1989-02-21_R1-246116_10r.jpg&images/sj/1990-04-05_R1-351428_10r.jpg Rs.10 1987-01-01 R/1 60000 60000 102333 10
Rs.10 1988-11-21 R/1 10000 70000212616 1
Rs.10 1989-02-21 R/1 20000 90000246116 2
Rs.10 1989-02-21 R/1 30000 120000 _____ DKS Not Reported 0
Rs.10 1990-04-05 R/1 64000 184000351428 3
images/pj/1990-04-05_R3-065985_20r.jpg Rs.20 1988-11-21 R/3 5000 5000012618 2
Rs.20 1989-02-21 R/3 13000 18000 Not Reported 0
Rs.20 1990-04-05 R/3 31000 49000065985 3
images/cs/1989-02-21_R4-028951_50r.jpg Rs.50 1989-02-21 R/4 10000 10000017384 2
Rs.50 1989-02-21 R/4 13000 23000028951 DKS 1
Rs.50 1990-04-05 R/4 3800 26800 Not Reported 0
images/cs/1988-02-01_R5-097209_100r.jpg Rs.100 1987-01-01 R/5 10000 10000 Not Reported 0
Rs.100 1988-02-01 R/5 34000 44000097209 1
Rs.100 1989-02-21 R/5 10000 54000 DKS Not Reported 0
Rs.100 1990-04-05 R/5 21000 75000114232 2
images/dl/1989-02-21_R7-016307_500r.jpg&images/ap/1990-04-05_R7-020721_500r.jpg Rs.500 1987-01-01 R/7 50005000  ---- Not Used ?
Rs.500 1988-11-21 R/7 3000 3000002891 3
Rs.500 1989-02-21 R/7 7000 10000016307 5
Rs.500 1990-04-05 R/7 5000 15000020721 9
images/mi/1990-04-05_R8-008842_1000r.jpg Rs.1000 1987-01-01 R/8 1000010000  ---- Not Used ?
Rs.1000 1989-02-21 R/8 5000 5000000366 2
Rs.1000 1990-04-05 R/8 3000 8000008842 8

Note the low serial numbers 2891 and 366, for the 1988 Rs500 and 1989 Rs1000 replacements. The expected 0.2% of 1987 replacement notes is 10,000 and 20,000 for 5M and 10M issue. The higher denomination replacements of these older issues are more common than the lower. So probably the 1987 Rs 500 and Rs 1000 did not use replacements.

Replacements of both varaties of Rs50 dated 1989-02-21 without and with Dot after H. N. S. Karunatilake Signature (DKS) have now been reported. I had suspected they may not exist with dot as replacements for the Rs10 and Rs50, printed prior of same date without Dot may have been used, like observed for 1970-12-09. However this guess is now proven wrong.
Regular Issue K is the Number of regular Notes printed in Thousands
Total Issue K is the Cumulative Total Number of regular Notes of that denomination printed in Thousands
Lakdiva Note S# Serial of Note shown. Not from Lakdiva Collection ,if in Italics
Comments
No Number replacement notes reported with images and listed below.

On My RTI (Request To Information) on this older Series CBSL replied
Information on issues after 1987.01.01 or 1996.02.01 are not available with both the CBSL and the printer DeLaRue.

From the rough proportionality of the Replacement note serial number with the cumulative Total Number of regular Notes of that denomination printed in Thousands we can estimate that the number of replacement notes used is probably about 0.2-0.3% or on average notes per thousand of about 2 to 3. i.e. Replacements used is 2 to 3 times the column Issue K

Replacement notes not from the Lakdiva collection are indicated above with a serial in italic numerals.
I thank collector Dushantha Lakmal, and dealers Selliah Jackson, Mohamed Ishfar and Chanaka Sampath for images of these replacement notes for confirmation.

The Central Bank did not inform the Public about Replacement notes which went unnoticed by collectors. Around 1999 their identity was told to collector Johann Dekker by former Superintendent of Currency Ms Chitra Ariyaratne when he had asked her about notes with a different prefix.

Consequently all denominations of these replacement notes are rare to find as they had gone out of circulation by 2000. Of the 22 possible of which 20 likely replacement notes, 15 have been reported to me with images. All 6 denominations, as well as all 4 dates of issue are known.

A list of the 5 likely replacement date-denomination which have not yet been reported as yet.

Rs  10 1989-02-21 R/1 DKS (Dot after H. N. S. Karunatilake Signature)
Rs  20 1989-02-21 R/3
Rs  50 1990-04-05 R/4
Rs 100 1987-01-01 R/5
Rs 100 1989-02-21 R/5
If you have image of any replacement notes in missing list above, please send to kavanr @ gmail.com Thanks.
The Rs 500 1988-11-21 R/7 reported by Mr Dushantha Lakmal, on 2023 January 31.
The Rs 50 1989-02-21 R/5 (DKS) reported by Mr Mohamed Ishfar, on 2023 February 6.
The Rs 100 1988-02-01 R/5 reported by Mr Chanaka Sampath, on 2024 February 2.

A list of 52 reported Replacement Notes with R prefix 1987-1990.
The best available image for each date/variety not in Lakdiva Collection displayed above
If you have an image of any please submit image to be included in this list. The list gives preference to listing current owner/collector of note when known.

Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 092554   Online? (2019-05)
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 102333   Lakdiva Collection
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 124915/6 Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 124930/1 Mr Ravi Rathnapala
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 124934/5 Mr Preethi Jayawardena
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 124937   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs  10 1987-01-01 R/1 162595   Mr Preethi Jayawardena
Rs  10 1988-11-21 R/1 212616   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs  10 1989-02-21 R/1 246116   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs  10 1989-02-21 R/1 275279   Mr Chanaka Sampath
Rs  10 1990-04-05 R/1 342224   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs  10 1990-04-05 R/1 350490   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs  10 1990-04-05 R/1 351428   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)

Rs  20 1988-11-21 R/3 012168   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs  20 1988-11-21 R/3 012618   Mr Preethi Jayawardena
Rs  20 1990-04-05 R/3 057672   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs  20 1990-04-05 R/3 065985   Mr Preethi Jayawardena
Rs  20 1990-04-05 R/3 080631   Mr Ravi Rathnapala

Rs  50 1989-02-21 R/4 017384   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs  50 1989-02-21 R/4 024243   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs  50 1989-02-21 R/4 028951   Mr Chanaka Sampath (DKS) 

Rs 100 1988-02-01 R/5 097209   Mr Chanaka Sampath
Rs 100 1990-04-05 R/5 114232   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs 100 1990-04-05 R/5 127460   Mr Chanaka Sampath

Rs 500 1988-11-21 R/7 001321   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs 500 1988-11-21 R/7 002514   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs 500 1988-11-21 R/7 002891   Mr Dushantha Lakmal
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 009862   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 009862   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 009863   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 011546   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 013012   Mr Selliah Jackson 
Rs 500 1989-02-21 R/7 016307   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 017254   Mr Chanaka Sampath  
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 019597   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 019841   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 020721   Collector AP
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 023453   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 023957   Mr Selliah Jackson
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 025641   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 026353   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs 500 1990-04-05 R/7 027890   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe

Rs1000 1989-02-21 R/8 000366   Mr Selliah Jackson (sold)
Rs1000 1989-02-21 R/8 001518   Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 005087   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 005315   Mr Mohamed Ishfar  (sold)
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 006238/9 Mr Chanaka Sampath 
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 006240/1 Mr Chanaka Sampath
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 007516   Mr K.W.M. Samarasinghe
Rs1000 1990-04-05 R/8 008842   Mr Mohamed Ishfar  (sold)

Please see Sri Lankan Replacement BankNotes: 1970 - 2018 for a more general discussion.