Ceylon 5 Rupees banknote 1952 Queen Elizabeth II
Obverse: Portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth from a classic Dorothy Wilding photograph on the left, a water-mark panel on the right, and the value in words FIVE RUPEES in single lines in center and in figures 5 on four corners, with upper two slanted. CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON at upper centre "This note is issued on behalf of the Government of Ceylon and is legal tender in Ceylon of the payment of any amount" in four lines. The date appears above the two facsimile signatures (Minister of Finance and Governor Central Bank of Ceylon). Lower the value in Sinhala on left and Text in Tamil on right.
Reverse: Statue of King Parakramabahu I at Polonnaruwa, the Ancient Medieval Capital of Sri Lanka. Centered on top CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON in an arc, the value in figures 5 at each corner. The value in Sinhala on lower left and in Tamil at lower right, the value in words FIVE RUPEES in single lines at right.
Printed by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, New Malden in Surrey, England.
Ceylon Banknotes
Central Bank of Ceylon - 1952-1954 Queen Elizabeth II, First Issue
Statue of King Parakramabahu I
The statue near the Potgul Vehera in Polonnaruwa, commonly known as the statue of Parakramabahu I, is a stone sculpture dating back to the Polonnaruwa period of ancient Sri Lanka. Its identity is uncertain, although the widely accepted theory is that it is a statue of Parakramabahu I. However, it has also been suggested as the statue of a sage. Carved on a large boulder, the statue depicts a majestic figure, his broad face has a look of seriousness and he is holding a sacred manuscript from which he appears to be reading aloud.