Commemorative note to mark CHOGM

The Central Bank will issue a Rs. 500 commemorative note to mark the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka from November 15-17.

This is the third commemorative note that is being issued by the Central Bank.

The size, colour and the security features of the commemorative note are the same as in the Rs. 500 note of the same series currently in circulation. The only changes will be:

On the front: (i) CHOGM 2013 Sri Lanka logo in purple appearing at the lower left corner of the note replacing the butterfly of the currently circulating Rs. 500 note; (ii) A security feature of an additional watermark of a design around the electrotype vertical numerals 500, to differentiate the CHOGM commemorative note from the current note; (iii) The date 2013.11.15 on the back of the note: The images in the present Rs. 500 note will remain.

Five million notes will be issued under the serial numbers T/51 000001- T/55 1000000.

The first note will be issued to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal. The commemorative notes will be issued through licensed commercial banks from November 15. Meanwhile, a limited number of notes with the early serial numbers in an attractive folder will be sold at Rs. 800 each at the Economic History Museum at Chatham Street, Colombo 1 and the Central Bank Provincial Offices at Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Matale, Matara and Trincomalee.