50 Rupees 2016, Sri Lanka
| in Krause book | Number: 124c |
| Years of issue: | 04.07.2016 |
| Edition: | 105 000 000 |
| Signatures: | Finance Minister: Ravi Karunanayake, CBSL Governor: I. Coomaraswamy |
| Serie: | Serie 2010 Development, Prosperity and Sri Lanka Dancers |
| Specimen of: | 01.01.2010 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 133 x 67 |
| Printer: | De la Rue Lanka Currency and Securities Print (Pvt) Ltd, Malawana |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Cornerstones. Denomination 50. The dull-blue flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus).
Avers:
In the center are 3 bridges.
On top is The nine arch bridge (9 Arch Bridge).
The nine arch bridge (9 Arch Bridge) was built in the village of Gotuwala during the period of British colonial rule. This bridge is located between two railway stations - Ella and Demodara (Demodara) and is the largest in Sri Lanka. The huge bridge, more than 30 m high, is located at an altitude of 945 m. Above sea level, which is why its second name is “Bridge to the Sky”.
The uniqueness of this massive bridge lies in the fact that it is built entirely from dense rocks, brick and cement, without using steel.
There is a popular story about its construction: when work was just begun, World War I broke out. The steel party destined for construction was selected and used by the military for its own projects. When the work got up, the local residents of Sri Lanka decided to build a bridge out of the available scrap materials - stones, bricks and cement, without using steel.
The history of the construction of the Nine arch bridge.
The main builder, P. K. Appuhami, born in 1870, was a popular drummer and devil dancer. One day, after the ceremony of Tovil (Thovil), he was returning home without disguise, in the traditional costume of the devil. His path ran through the station in Ohiya (Ohiya), where at that time the railway was already built. It was there that Appuhs met the British, who decided that he had the fiend of hell. After this incident, the Briton and the Lankian became friends and Appuhs began to help with the construction of the railway in attracting labor.
The lowland between the two hills was occupied by a quagmire, British engineers began to show concern about this. The question was how to securely install the 9 columns of the bridge on the ground. By the time the Appuhami were already trusted by British engineers, and, having figured out exactly how to act, asked to transfer the construction of this massive bridge to him. After refusing the first time, the second time the British finally agreed.
Appuhami began working in this difficult area in 1913. He arranged for people to throw large stones down into the quagmire until they filled it to the bottom. Only after that he began to build brick columns, on the resulting foundation of rock fragments. The drummer completed the job in a year, and the cost of construction was so low that the British were not at all sure about the structural integrity of the bridge.
Appuhami was so confident in the quality of the work done that he even promised that when he first drove the train over the bridge, he himself would lie under the bridge. Subsequently, when the railway was first commissioned, he fulfilled his promise.
In the folklore of Sri Lanka, it is said that the British offered to Appuhami a payment for his work to erect a bridge - four carts of silver coins, which he brought from Colombo. Appuhami, in turn, arranged a holiday for the residents of the neighboring villages of Parabedda and Puranwela and distributed food and treats for two days, and then distributed to each inhabitant of the village one silver coin. The bridge was commissioned in the end of 1921. (sun-lanka.ru .rus)
Lower is The Manampitiya bridge.
The Manampitiya Bridge is the second longest bridge in Sri Lanka with a length of 302 meters. It consists of 2 bridges: railway, built in the early twentieth century of steel, and the road, which was recently built and used with 2 lanes of the highway. Prior to this, the Kinniya Bridge, opened in 2009, was declared the longest bridge in Sri Lanka. The steel bridge was built in 1922, during colonial rule. Its length is 291 meters and at least 5 meters wide.
The bridge is located 81 km. east of Maradankadawala, along the A11 Khabaran-Thirikondiyadimadu road to the Polonnaruwa district, connecting the North-Central Province with the eastern province through the Mahaweli River. A new bridge to Manampitya was built with the financial assistance of Japan, hence the name Peace Bridge of Friendship of Sri Lanka-Japan. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (jica) allocated 1.3 billion rupees on behalf of the Japanese government. The bridge was declared open on October 25, 2007 by President Mahinda Rajapaks. (srilankafinder.com .rus)
On right side is The dull-blue flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus) - endemic of Sri-Lanka.
The dull-blue flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. It was previously included in the genus Muscicapa.
This species is an endemic resident breeder in the hills of central Sri Lanka.
The dull-blue flycatcher breeds in deciduous mountain forest, invariably above 600 m., although it is not common below 900 m. The main breeding season is in March and April, but a second brood is often reared later in the year.
The cup-shaped nest is a lined compact mass of moss. The site is usually a well-shaded rock ledge. The normal clutch is two or three brown-spotted pink eggs are laid.
This species is 15 cm. long. It is similar in shape to the spotted flycatcher and has a loud melodic song.. Adults are ashy blue, with a whitish belly. There is a black patch between the broad black bill and the eye, bordered with brighter blue above and below. Sexes are similar, but females are slightly duller.
Juvenile dull-blue flycatchers are brown, heavily spotted on the head, back, wing-coverts and breast with pale buff; their flight feathers are broadly edged with blue-grey.
This is relatively easy bird to see, despite its forest habitat. It feeds mainly on flying insects, beetles, caterpillars and other insects, but also eats berries. 
In lower left corner is Kallima horsfieldii or the southern blue oakleaf butterfly.
Kallima horsfieldii, the blue oakleaf, southern blue oakleaf or Sahyadri blue oakleaf, is a nymphalid butterfly found in India. The underside appears like a leaf complete with midrib while the upperside is brilliantly coloured.
Males and females indigo blue. Forewing; with a broad, oblique, slightly curved, sinuous-edged, pale blue band, turning to white on the anterior half; the distance measured on the costa of the outer edge of thin band greater than half the length of the wing from the base; its inner margin bordered by short, obliquely-placed, detached linear black markings; apical area beyond the band jet black, with a preapical whites spot; medial hyaline (glass-like) spots, the lower varying in size, in interspaces 2 and 3. Hindwing uniform, the costa and apex broadly and the abdominal fold brown; vein 1 with long soft greyish-brown hairs along its length, extending also over the abdominal fold. Forewings and hindwings as in Kallima inachus, with a dark brown subterminal zigzag line, commencing below vein 3 on the forewing.
Underside as in Kallima inachus simulating a dry leaf, but the resemblance on the whole is perhaps less perfect. Antennae dark brown; head, thorax, and abdomen very dark greenish brown; beneath, the palpi, thorax, and abdomen ochraceous earthy brown. (notes.lakdiva.org)
In top right corner is The Sri Lanka Lion (Panthera leo sinhaleyus), with sword (from coat of arms). About The Sri Lanka Lion, please, read watermark description here!
Numeric 50 at upper left and lower right. At bottom center the value රුපියල් පනහයි in Sinhala, ஐம்பது ரூபாய் in Thamil and FifTY RUPEES in English, of decreasing font size.
ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala at Top center, with smaller இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and English CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA on next line.
Legality Legend in 3 lines
"ශ්රී ලංකාණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කරන ලද මේ
මුදල් නෝට්ටුව ශ්රී ලංකාව ඈතුළත ඕනෑම මුදල් ගණනක්
ගෙවිම සඳහා නිතියෙන් වලංගුය"
In English: "Issued on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka
Banknote legally valid for payment in Sri Lanka".
Revers:
In top right corner is the Punkalasa Guard stone. The traditional symbol in Sinhalese art is Pankalas or a pot of prosperity. Sign of good luck and abundance, represented by a decorative pot of flowers.
Guardstones (doratupala figures or muragal) are one of the finest creations of ancient Sinhalese artwork. Guard stone carved with pot of plenty is an expression of prosperity and it is associated with the belief of ushering prosperity to the building throughout the year. The best example of a guard stone with a pot of plenty is seen at the Abhayagiri archeological complex.
Guard stones had gone through three major stages in their development. Using the punkalas design was the first stage in this development.
In ancient days, there was a custom to keep pots of water with flowers (usually of the coconut palm variety) and budded twigs in front of buildings on important occasions. Even nowadays, such pots known as punkalas, are kept in front of wedding poruwas and also used at other important occasions.
Across all field of banknote is floral motive Liya vela.
Liya vela is a commonly used design technique in Sinhala art. It is a decorative art form using the leaves and flowers of a creeper.
A map of Sri Lanka appears in the background, centered to the left.
This banknote shows a drummer with Yak Beraia and Vadiga Patuna dancer.
Yak Beraya (Ruhunu Beraya, Devol Beraya or Pahatharata Beraya) is the traditional drum which accompanies Sri Lanka Low Country dances. This instrument is a long cylindrical drum and is played with both hands.
Vadiga Patuna dance is a performances of the Low Country dance tradition. It narrates the arrival of some Brahmins from Vadige Land to relieve a queen of a serious ailment. The verse and dialogue are in Palli Sanskrit and Tamil languages.
Numeric 50 at upper left and lower right. රුපියල් පනහයි in Sinhala, ஐம்பது ரூபாய் in Thamil and FifTY RUPEES in English, in 3 lines of decresing font size at lower left.
ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala, இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA in English, in 3 lines of decresing font size, at center upper left.
Printer Thomas De la Rue, Sri Lanka, in tiny text DE LA RUE in bottom right.
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