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Obverse : An adaptation from the Anuradhapura Moonstone.
The numeral 2500 at the centre with Flower petals around in inner annulus,
next a procession of elephant, horse, lion and bull (2 sequnces). next a
procession of sixteen geese, with lotus flowers hanging from their beaks.
Reverse : A design based on the Jasmine
flower surmounted by a Lotus flower. The value
රුපියල් පහයි in Sinhala,
and the year of issue 1957 is superimposed at the center. The value
FIVE RUPEES on left and
ஐந்து ரூபாய் in Thamil on right.
The Sinhala name of country
ශ්රී ලංකා
(Sri Lanka) on top. The anniversary
බුදධ ජයනති
(Buddha Jayanthi) also only in Sinhala at the bottom.
The traditional first king of Lanka is Vijaya is reckoned to have landed in Lanka in 543 BCE. on the same year of the passing away of the Buddha and defines the start of years measured in Buddhist Era (B.E).
These coins are popularly referred to as the Buddha Jayanthi coins. The coin has 2 groups of the sequence Elepant, horse, lion and bull representing the crdianl directions South, West, North, and East. The Moonstone by conception is an Half Moon used at entrance to a religious buildings. However that artists creation of a Full Moon has 4 groups of was adopted in 1954 as the Seal for Ceylon. Coin is different from that Seal, but may have been influenced by it.
The Rupees Five coin is today accepted by many numismatists as one of the most beautiful and elegant "crown" size coins in the world.
700 sets of 4 Proof coins each (PS3) and 400 sets of 2 Proof coins
each (PS2) were issued. The four proof coins are embedded (two Rs5/-
coins on top and Rs1/- below) in dark blue velvet inside a dark blue
11.5cm square spring hinged box with the Emblem of the Central Bank of
Ceylon printed in gold on top. The Emblem of the Royal Mint is printed
in black on the white satin in the inside cover.
One of these 4 coin sets was gifted to each of the Cabinet Ministers with a slip of paper which said "With the complements of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank".
The Two coin Proof set just came wrapped in white tissue and Brown paper and not in any box. It was sold at Face Value(Need confirmation).
Mr Tuan Sally commeted that there was a reluctance of people to buy these 4 coin proof sets in Royal Mint Box priced at Rs17/- each.
258,000 of the original 500,000 mintage of the Rs 5/- coins was returned to the RoyalMint and melted by decision dated 23rd Nov 1962. So the number issued is given above is less than the number Minted. The Central bank had no-authority to issue them for more the face value of Rs 5/-; and the 0.84 troy ounces of pure silver in it was worth more than that since 1963. The next Silver Crown minted was Rs 500/- which in 1990 was issued at $12.50 and since 1998 has been Rs 1000/- when it was issued with premium at $18.75 which is four times the value of Silver.
The coins were scanned at 300 dpi and the images are displayed at 254 dpi.
The uncirculated commemorative coin were obtained many years ago from the
Central Bank of Ceylon. A proof 4-coin set was purchased from a dealer in
Pittsburgh, USA in August 1998.
