Brief Historical Notes on Sri Lanka

According to the CIA Website:

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In May 2009, the government announced that its military had finally defeated the remnants of the LTTE and that its leader, Velupillai PRABHAKARAN, had been killed.

Specifications

Denomination	Diameter	Weight	Alloy	AGW
500 Rupees	14	1.6	0.500	0.0257
5000 Rupees	22	7.98	0.9167	0.2352

Key
Diameter = Approximate Diameter in millimetres.
Weight = Weight in grams.
Alloy = Fineness of gold.
AGW = Actual fine gold weight in troy ounces.

Prices & Availability
The prices quoted in the US $ column may be out of date due to currency fluctuations.

Date	Denomination	Description	Mintage	Grade	Availability	Price £	Price $
1991	500 Rupees	Fifth SAF Games		Uncirculated	Wanted	Ask	Ask
1998	5000 Rupees	50 Years of Independence		Uncirculated	Wanted	Ask	Ask

Postage & Packing
UK Registered Post (Special Delivery) £9 per order
EU Insured Post £10 per order
USA Airmail $10 per order
USA Insured Shipping $20 per order

Sri Lankan Silver and Base Metal Coins
For silver and base metal coins of Sri Lanka, please look at our original Chard Coins website.

Coins Wanted
We make an active market in almost all world coins, gold or otherwise, including Sri Lankan gold coins. If you have any of these coins to sell, please contact us, or post them to us for appraisal and offer.