The rupee is the legal tender of Sri Lanka. A rupee is divided into 100 cents and its ISO code is LKR. The institution responsible for issuing the rupee is the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its abbreviation is Rs.
History of the Sri Lanka Rupee
In 1825, Ceylon adopted the sterling pound to replace the Sinhalese rix dollar with an exchange rate of 1 GBP = 13⅓ rix dollars. In 1827 the Treasury issued bills denominated in pounds, to substitute the first denominated bills in rix dollars. In June 1831 the rix dollar bills that had not been exchanged for pounds were demonetized.
On September 26, 1836, Ceylon based its currency on the Indian rupee and the notes denominated in pounds continued circulating until 1836 next to the rupee. The monetary unit was still the pound, so the amounts were denominated in pounds, shillings and pennies. However, the payments were made in rupees, based on an unofficial rounding of 2 shillings per rupee.
In 1844 the Bank of Ceylon was the first private institution to issue banknotes on the island. Later in 1856 the Treasury bills were withdrawn from circulation. On June 18, 1869 the Indian rupee was formally established as the legal currency in Ceylon. On August 23, 1871, the rupee was decimalized. Thus, divided into 100 cents, became effective on January 1, 1872, replacing the British currency with an exchange rate of 1 rupee = 2 shillings with 3 pence.
Notes and coins of the Sri Lanka Rupee in use
Currently, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 rupees are in circulation
As for the coins, we can currently find them of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents and 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupeess
Did you know?
- Sri Lanka was the first country in the world to elect a woman President of the Government: Sirimavo Bandaranaike, elected in 1960.
- The Sri Lankans, like the Indians, wiggle their heads in a way that seems to mean "NO" when in reality ... they are saying "YES" !!!
- Due to the large number of waterfalls scattered throughout the country, most of Sri Lanka's electricity is powered by hydroelectric power.
Why changing currency with us is better than with your bank?
 Global Exchange | Your high-street bank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of curencies available | We have more than 13 currencies. We are specialists. | Only the most common ones. They don't pay much attention to this service and, moreover, they will always try to get you to leave with Dollars. | ||
| Currency availability | Immediate availability at our airport offices on the day of your trip. | The branch requests it from Head Office and it may take quite a long time to have the currency available, or they may not even have it. | ||
| Cost of the transaction | Only the exchange rate, with no commissions, and if you book online we guarantee you the best price. | Your bank's margin plus a commission. | ||
| Fractional currency so you can pay comfortably | Of course, because we think of you and your needs when you set foot in a foreign country. | No. Be prepared to hear refusals and complaints in a foreign language when you present a "large" bill. | ||
| Delivery options | We offer you the possibility of picking up your order at the airport. | You have to go to the bank twice: once to request the currency and once to pick it up, if they can get it for you, so you have to keep track of your money. | ||
| Opening hours | We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. |