100 Rupees, Central Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka, 1979 (Pick 88)

This 100 Rupees note was issued in Sri Lanka by the Central Bank of Ceylon, dated 1979. It belongs to the Rupee (1972-date) currency system. Issuing authority and period recorded in the catalogue: Democratic Socialist Republic (1978-date). It measures 156 × 76 mm and is printed on paper. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money lists the type as Pick 88.

Obverse: Denomination and bank name in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. 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), set against a scenic background. Scripts: Sinhala and Tamil. Its lettering reads “රුපියල් සියයයි / நூறு ரூபாய் / 100 / ONE HUNDRED RUPEES / 1979-03-26 / ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව / ශ්‍රී ලංකාණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කරන ලද මේ / මුදල් නෝට්ටුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඇතුළත ඕනෑම මුදල් ගණනක් / ගෙවිම සඳහා නිතියෙන් වලංගුය / මුදල් ඈමති / මහ බැංකුවේ අධිපති / இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி / CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON.”. Translation given in the catalogue: “One Hundred Rupees One Hundred Rupees Central Bank of Sri Lanka Issued on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. This currency note is legally valid for payment of any amount within Sri Lanka. {signature of Ronnie de Mel} Finance Minister {signature ”.

Reverse: At centre are two yellow-fronted barbet birds (Megalaima Flavi frons) 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 against a scenic background. Its lettering reads “ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව / இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி / Central Bank of Ceylon / රුපියල් සියයයි / நூறு ரூபாய் / One Hundred Rupees”.

Watermark: Lion standing on hind legs facing left with bent whip in right paw. Identification note: match the value, issuing bank, printed date and Pick number together; dates and signature combinations distinguish sub-varieties, which are not separated in this entry. Details follow the Numista catalogue entry and the Standard Catalog reference it cites; they have not been checked against a central-bank archive.