Designing
Currency Notes and Coins
Designing currency is one of the most complex and prestigious design challenges where creativity meets national identity, history, and security. At the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, I contributed to the design of banknotes and coins that serve as legal tender while reflecting the country’s culture, heritage, and progress. These designs are used daily by millions, making them one of the most impactful projects of my career.
role
Graphic Designer in the Communications Department, responsible for concept development, visual design, layout, and collaboration with engravers, security specialists, and printers.
deliverables
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Concept sketches and final layouts for banknotes and commemorative coins
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Integration of cultural, historical, and environmental themes into design
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Security feature placement and alignment including watermarks, holograms, intaglio elements, and micro text
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Artwork prepared for production with De La Rue and other security printers
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Designs for commemorative coin series issued for national events and milestones
Challenge
The main challenge was balancing artistry with security. Currency had to symbolize national pride while embedding advanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. In addition, Sri Lanka has three official languages, so every text element had to be designed in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, which created further complexity in layout, typography, and spacing. Every choice in colors, illustrations, and patterns had to maintain visual appeal, technical precision, and flawless reproducibility under strict international standards.
Approach
I began with research on cultural themes, historical figures, and national symbols relevant to each denomination or commemorative issue. From there, I created detailed sketches and refined them into final designs in collaboration with internal committees and international security printers. Each design element was integrated with layered security features to ensure authenticity and usability. The final outcome was a collection of notes and coins that embody national heritage, are instantly recognizable, and meet the highest design and security standards.
