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Currency-Notes in Sri Lanka (From 1948 to 2018) Upeksha Gamage1, Harshani Pathmakulasooriya2, N.T.S

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Currency-Notes in Sri Lanka (From 1948 to 2018) Upeksha Gamage1, Harshani Pathmakulasooriya2, N.T.S Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 4, No. 4 (174-195) © Author(s) 2019 ISSN: 2279-3933 Original Article Archaeological Heritage and Traditional Decorations Depicted on Paper- Currency-Notes in Sri Lanka (From 1948 To 2018) Upeksha Gamage1, Harshani Pathmakulasooriya2, N.T.S. Thilakarathna3 1,2 Department of History Abstract and Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities and Social The currency note is a piece of paper uses for officially maintain a flow of Sciences, University of funds according to the financial principles of a country. Every state in the Ruhuna world prints currency notes and they include artistic designs as symbols of 3Postgraduate Student, richness and power of the country. This article focuses on the currency notes Faculty of Post Graduate in Sri Lanka while assessing archaeological heritage and traditional Studies, University of decorations depicted on them. This paper further aims to highlight the Sri Ruhuna Lankan archaeological heritage and traditional decorations depicted in 1 connection with the categories of currency notes established by the Central [email protected] Bank of Sri Lanka, and to describe reasons for depicting them on currency notes. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka issued eleven series of currency notes as of 2018 under different themes to illustrate Sri Lankan archaeological heritage. This study is based on a field survey that facilitated to obtain data and information. The currency notes available at the museum in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka were inspected, and each kind of currency notes printed from 1948 to the end of 2018 were studied. Published literature were critically reviewed. In addition, discussions with experts from the Central Bank and Bank Museum in Sri Lanka were undertaken. The use of features related to archaeological heritage and the use of traditional decorations on the notes can be considered as a prominent theme of Sri Lankan paper- currency-notes. Main reasons behind this choice coincide with the idea of representing the native heritage-identity, but not just as a medium of value exchange. Keywords: Archaeological Heritage, Currency notes, Notes series, Traditional decorations 174 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 4, No. 4 (174-195) © Author(s) 2019 ISSN: 2279-3933 Original Article INTRODUCTION flow of funds according to the financial principles of a country and it Growing social complexity with the circulates for dealings of goods and sedentism, trade, population growth services. and urbanism, raised the need for an exchange system. Transactions within In contrast to coins made of metal, an established economic system, that there is no inherent value of paper started with the barter system later notes. But a larger amount of money developed the unit of value called can be represented by a piece of paper. money. Money is an exchange unit Manufacturing paper was first used by every society for official introduced during the period of the communication and publicity, for the genealogy of the Han Dynasty (206BC- worth of goods or services provided. 220AD) (Somadeva, 2016, p. 177). Currency, the unit of money, are Traders used bills for dealings of circulated in the world in exchange or money during the first half of the 8th other modes, is twofold: coins and century in China (Hewiitt, 1998, p. 91) paper notes. From the earliest times, and during the period between 10 the unit of value called money became A.D. and 13 A.D. centuries, a paper an integral part of society. money note was issued under the dynasty of Song (Somadeva, 2016, p. According to the Oxford Dictionary 178). Along with the confirmation of (1989, p. 165), a paper currency is a the use of paper money in China and negotiable document used instead of the beginning of issuing currency money escape banknotes, passing notes by Mongolia in 1260 A.D., unquestioned formed hand to hand, systems of currency notes began to more strictly, a paper currency, which spread throughout the world (Hewiitt, by the law of the country represents 1998, p. 91). China designed paper money and is a legal tender. The free money first and used it efficiently dictionary (Internet) has interpreted a (Hewiitt, 1998, p. 92). Later, by the paper currency issued by a middle of the twentieth century, government or central bank consisting printing currency notes became the of the printed paper that can circulate norm around the world and they as a substitute for specie. The Lexico included artistic designs as symbols of Oxford English and Spanish elite and power, and representing the Dictionary explain the paper currency values of the issuing authority. is money in the form of banknotes (Internet). Sri Sumangala Dictionary Until 1951, British currency notes were (Sabdakosaya, A Sinhalese- Sinhalese used in Sri Lanka. Coins issued by Dictionary, 1963, p. 782) depicts the them were circulated until 1963. The currency note as a piece of paper used Central Bank of Sri Lanka began to for money. Currency notes are paper issue their currency notes in Sri Lanka money used officially to maintain the from 1951 and these currency notes 175 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 4, No. 4 (174-195) © Author(s) 2019 ISSN: 2279-3933 Original Article were used up to 2018 under notes heritage depicted in currency notes series 11. When issuing currency notes and to uncover the reasons for as series, they have used different depicting them on currency notes. themes for each note series. According LITERATURE REVIEW to those themes, illustrations were imbibed on the Obverse (front) and Only a limited number of research are Reverse (back) of the currency notes. available on paper currency notes of Among them, some illustrations Sri Lanka. However, the pictures bearing Sri Lankan archaeological depicted on paper currency in Sri heritage were given considerable Lanka, apart from a cursory attention. recognition, has not been paid much attention to. Heritage can be divided into two categories: natural heritage, and In the study of paper money and coins, cultural heritage. Tradition, language, one of the clear qualities recognized is architectural constructions can be that they are powerful and identified as a part of heritage. The unsuspected vehicles for propaganda archaeological heritage of the island, and advertisement for the authority, that speaks of the past prosperous and that, it is one of the easiest ways to economic endeavors, is considered send such messages to the masses with wonder and as a source of (Hewitt, 1998). The subtleness of national pride of the inhabitants of the sending powerful messages to the country. The inclusion of the aforesaid people via such an inconspicuous but heritage in currency notes thus can be a glaring way is especially recognized deemed as an important aspect of the as a part of the package of the use of paper currency. paper money (Hewitt, 1998). Then, the use of a particular type of pictures It is common for the majority of the specifically and repeatedly, is people of a country not to recognize something noteworthy, in the sense the cultural heritage attached and that the paper money is used to represented by the currency notes in convey a message. their country. People would often recognize the colour and the denoted Another of the uses of paper money worth at a glance but hardly would which is connected to being a subtle they stop and examine the and a powerful messenger is that it is a illustrations. However, it is important favourite medium to project messages to identify the represented identity of of national identity (Hewitt, 1998; archaeological heritage from paper Hewitt & Unwin, 2001). Galloy (2007) money, in addition to the value in it. points out how the picture depictions in Mexican and Central American Mainly this study focuses on Sri states, can be understood as a message Lankan cultural and archaeological of nationalism, national identity and 176 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 4, No. 4 (174-195) © Author(s) 2019 ISSN: 2279-3933 Original Article constructing that identity. It stands to messages the paper money can carry mean that, not only the paper money show its affinity to propose and presents what is accepted as an consolidate the national identity the identity, but it can slowly, intricately, state wishes. The historical evolutions create and construct an identity a state and the development and shifts of the wants to project. The colonial pasts, nation-states over the world have disentangling with colonial ties, class experienced this connection. In Sri divisions and ethnic divisions are Lanka, the paper money came to exist aspects that pictures of paper money with the British Administration. The have incorporated to send continuous symbols in the paper money were first and subtle messages to the masses introduced by them. Studies show that (Galloy, 2007, P. 30-32). Lauer (2008) the depictions of natural beauty and notes that the nation-state and the promise of development and past money are intricately connected to glories did mark a shift very early in nation-building. The United States the paper money of Ceylon, starting paper money has a role as a medium well before the Independence in 1948. of mass communication. In devising The shift from using only letters and the strategies to make the obvious numbers and the pictures of foreign worthiness of paper money in places (Hewitt, 1998: 262) to the comparison to the metal coins, the pictures of the heritage of the past legitimization of the paper money is marked the shift in the nation-state attained through rationalization and and the changing society. The use of mystification. The first is achieved by heritage symbols from this first incorporating the documentary moment then stayed in Sri Lankan conventions associated with the formal paper notes.
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