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Obverse : An artistic drawing of Ananda Viharaya with rays from pinnacle
depicting impact of knowledge and education upper center.
Below from left to right portraits of
Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala Thera (1827-1911),
Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera (1823-1890), and
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907)
as founders of Ananda with Anniversary dates 1886-2011 inside a
semi-circle.
ආනන්ද
විද්යාලය
in Sinhala, at bottom
ஆனந்த
கல்லூரி
in Thamil, on the left,
and ANANDA COLLEGE on right with four decorative floral designs
as separators within the annulus along the periphery within raised rim.
The coins was issued to the public by CBSL on 2011 December 15th
with a plain white cardboard outer protection loop. A small sticker
pasted on this card has SL11ANSP with date 27.11.11 and a Barcode
below which the number 5026177268840. The product name has been
used on packaging of commemorative, but this is the first with a Barcode.
This is the first commemorative coin issued for a School Anniversary.
The "Daily Buddhist English Academy" at Maliban Road, Pettah was
founded on the 1886 November 1st by the Buddhist Theosophical Society
to provide English instruction to Buddhist students.
In 1895 the School was moved to Paranawadiya, Maradana and was renamed
Ananda College, after Arahant Ananda, the most devoted disciple of the
Buddha.
This is the First Lankan commemorative coin with portrait of an US citizen
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907). Previously the only Foreign
National to be shown on a Lankan coin was Siam citizen Ven. Phravara Upali Nahimi
on the 2003 - 5 Rupee Syamopasampada - 250th anniversary
coin.
The artwork was done by Ananda College. The Basic Concept by Thilak
Karunaratne, President and Deva Rodrigo, Deputy President of Ananda
College Old Boys Association. Design by Sameera Kothalawala
(sameera@heensare.com) under the direction of Dileepa Abeysekara of
"Heensare'
It deviates slightly from customary design features which are however
not statutory requirements of the
Sri Lanka Monetary Act
I thank the Ananda College OBA for sending me the line drawing 2 weeks
in advance of the CBSL press release and issue. Image was also published
in their Magazine
Anandaya - 2011 September page 7.
There were some question regarding the price of Rs 12,000/-
initially advertised on their
website and now corrected with
sell price of Rs8500/- set by the Monetary Board. This is also reflected in
Brochure and
Application.
Of the very limited 1500 Minted, 1000 were be given to Ananda College
leaving only small number for CBSL archive and sale to Public. However
since Ananda College put their stock on sale to public, coins were available
even from CBSL many months after issue.
Read my article,
an edited version of which was published as
Ananda College gets an anniversary crown
in Sri Lanka Sunday Times on 2011 December 11th.
More than Five years after issue in 2017 May, I was told that Ananda
College OBA still had about 500 of the 1000 coins remaining unsold.
It has become an expensive investment of over Rs4 Million earning no
interest. So it appears that the current numismatic collector market
for all high value NCLT Sri Lanka commemoratives is probably around
500 coins.
The coin was be obtained from Mr Thilak Karunaratne President of
Ananda OBA on 2011 December 1st and scanned at 600 dpi and the
images displayed at 254 dpi.
Also displayed above are scans of Artwork sent to Royal Mint.
Reverse : The Ananda College crest in lower center below
the large numeral denomination 2000 with
රුපියල් in Sinhala,
ரூபாய் in Thamil,
and RUPEES in 3 lines above the numeric, all within plain circle.
The country name
ශ්රී ලංකා in Sinhala, centered on top,
இலங்கை in Thamil
on left and SRI LANKA on right two decorative floral designs as separators
within the annulus formed with circle of radial dashs along the periphery with raised rim.
The crest in the shape of a shield has the standing Lion facing
left with sword as in National Flag below the Buddhist Stupa with radiant pinnacle.
On top the Motto
අප්පමදො අමතපදං(Appamdho Amathapadhan) only in Sinhala.
Buddhist quote from the
Apramadha Vagga in the Dhammapada meaning:
"Heedfulness leads to Nirvana".
The frosted proof coin has been struck with one ounce of sterling
silver to the British crown coin size. Enclosed in a circular coin
capsule it is embedded in black velvet inside a Maroon leatherette
covered 7.5cm square spring hinged Royal Mint presentation box. The
Emblem of the Royal Mint is printed in silver on the white
satin of the inside cover. A printed numbered Certificate of
Authenticity contains the specifications and the text in Sinhala,
Tamil and English.
The Rs 2,000 coin was officially handed over to Hon. Minister of
Finance, H.E the President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Mr. K G D D
Dheerasinghe, the Senior Deputy Governor of the CBSL, at Ananda
College on 2011 November 29th.
One of the coins were shown on National TV with fingerprints which were obvious
even at that low resolution. Proof coins are manufactured without handling
by hand and should not be touched outside the protective clear plastic capsule
to avoid any risk of destroying it's proof quality and value.