Commemorative coin to celebrate 150th anniversary of Ceylon Tea

Thursday, 13 July 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy (right) present the commemorative Rs. 10/- coin in celebration of “150 years of Ceylon Tea” to Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) yesterday issued a commemorative coin with a face value of Rs. 10 to celebrate 150 years of Ceylon Tea and to recognise its contribution to the national economy as an important and longstanding export-oriented commodity in Sri Lanka.

The first set of coins was officially presented to Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake by Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy at a ceremony held at the Central Bank.

The coin will be issued into circulation from 13 July 2017 through licensed commercial banks and can be used for payments amongst other currency notes and coins in circulation.

The lion emblem at the centre of the coin is the icon that depicts 'Ceylon Tea - Symbol of Quality', gazetted as the intellectual property of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. The periphery of the coin is adorned with indications of the year of the commencement of the tea industry in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), which is 1867, and the completion of its 150th year in 2017.

It is complemented by the image of two leaves and a bud on both sides of the emblem, which signifies the high leaf standard that ensures the production of fine Ceylon Tea. The bottom of the rim indicates that the coin is issued in celebration of 150 years of Ceylon Tea.

The face value of the coin ‘10’ in large numerals and the value in words in Sinhala, Tamil and English appears at the centre of the coin. The year 2017 is indicated at the bottom of the coin. The country’s name in Tamil, Sinhala and English appears at the periphery of the coin with two wreaths of rice ears at the bottom.

-Pix by sameera wijesinhe