Sri Lanka - 1992 - 1 Rupee
Second Executive President

A commemorative one rupee cupro-nickel coin was issued by Central Bank of Sri Lanka for circulation in January 1992 on the the 3rd Anniversary of the induction of the Ranasinghe Premadasa as the second Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationRupees one
Alloycupro-nickel
Diameter25.4 mm
Thickness1.9 mm
Weight7.128 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeGrained
Die-Axis
Issue25,000,000
MintRoyal,Wales
1992_Rs1_obverse 1992_Rs1_reverse
KM# 151

Obverse : Portrait of Sri Lanka President H.E. Ranansinghe Premadasa within a circle of beads. The year of issue 1992 appears at the bottom centre. A traditional Sinhala design using a circle of swans along periphery with raised rim.
Reverse : Two traditional Sinhala lions with swords face each other above His Excellency the President's flag depicted at the center. The Value as රුපියලයි in Sinhala, and ஒரு ரூபாய் in Thamil, and ONE RUPEE below, with traditional Sinhala Liyavela art near four corners of flag. The country name ශ්‍රී ලංකා in Sinhala, centered on top, இலங்கை in Thamil on left, and SRI LANKA on right. All within a circle of arches between dots along periphery with raised rim.

The coin was also issued as a Frosted Proof coin in Cupro-Nickel, Silver and Gold.

The Uncirculated coin was scaned at 600 dpi and the images are displayed at 254 dpi. It was obtained from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

An astrologer told President Premadasa that the name spelled misfortune for the head of state and so he changed the official name of Lanka from "Sri Lanka" to "Shri Lanka" with no constitutional authority and some fabricated justification. The altered spelling appears only on one commemorative coin. The spelling reverted back soon after President Ranasinghe Premadasa was brutally killed by a suicide bomber on 1993 May 1st. SHRI spelling was only used on Lanka Stamps issued between June 1992 and December 1993.

This coin linked to rebirth story :-).