2020 - Sri Lanka - 20 Rupees
Colombo Medical Faculty
150th Anniversary

A twenty rupees Nickel Plated Steel circulation coin was issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka on 2022 March 21 to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine. University of Colombo, Sri Lanka on 2020 June 1st.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationRupees Twenty
AlloyNickel-plated Steel
Diameter28. mm
Thickness2.0 mm
Weight8.59 gms
ShapeSeven lobed
EdgePlain
Die-Axis
Issue500,000?
MintCBPM, China.
2020_cmf150_Rs20_obverse 2020_cmf150_Rs20_reverse
2020_cmf150_Rs20_obverse 2020_cmf150_Rs20_reverse
KM# 2??

Obverse : Logo of the Colombo Medical Faculty, with anniversary 150 above and years 1870-2020 below. කොළඹ වෛද්‍ය පීඪය in Sinhala above; கொழும்பு மருத்துவ பீடம் in Thamil on right; and COLOMBO MEDICAL FACULTY in English on left along the periphery.
Reverse : Huge numeral 20 with රුපියල් විස්සයි in Sinhala, இருபது ரூபாய் in Thamil and TWENTY RUPEES in English below. ශ්‍රී ලංකා in Sinhala above; இலங்கை in Thamil on left; and SRI LANKA in English on right along the periphery. The year of issue 2020 at the bottom.

The China Mint coins are issued neatly locked into two columns of a transparent plastic tray put within cellophane cover. The 100 coins, in pack weighed 891 grams on a digital scale. Printed in Blue on pack is
Commodity150th Anniversary of
Colombo Medical Faculty
Pieces per packet 100

The mean weight of the coins is not mentioned in the Press Release, and just the thickness at 2 mm. The diameter is between 27.5 mm and 28.5 mm and listed as 28 mm. Weighing each of the 100 coins on a digital pocket scale with a precision of 0.01 grams, I found that the coins weighed between 8.46 and 8.68 with a mean of 8.59 grams. The distribution had a rms dispersion of 0.037 (0.43% of mean weight). It had a negative skewness of -0.50 and was leptokuratic with an positive excess kurtosis of 0.90. i.e. distribution more peaked than normal. The Full range weights 2.6% of the average weight and corresponds to a difference in thickness of 0.05mm. Measurements of thickness of 50 coins tightly packed in tray was 102 mm giving thickness of 2.04mm indicating that they could be about 2% thicker than specified.
The coin is 1% thicker and 1% heavier than the first issued CBSL 70th anniversary commemorative coin.
The coin was scanned at 600 dpi, PhotoShoped and displayed at 254 dpi.

This coin was planed to be issued on 2020 June 1st, but was delayed by the COVID-19 Pandamic. The function was held online, and Stamp issue was held on 2021 Nov. 25th. CBSL gifted the first coin to the President at a Launch only on 2022 March 21st 21+ months after the Anniversary.

The first coin was officially presented to the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa, by Professor Chandrika N. Wijeyaratne, the Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo in the presence of by Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor of CBSL at the Presidential Secretariat on 2022 March 21st.

I thank Wassim Sattar for an pre issue image of the coin which had been sent to him by a contact.
CBSL did not issue this coin at the CBSL museum or the CBSL cash counter which was only open on Tuesdays for staff. Collectors had to wait to get them from a local bank when available. They were initially issued to state Banks BoC, PB, and NSB and now issued to any bank the requests them while stock lasts.
Note only half million coins minted, much less than the usual five million for a circulation commemorative. As my movement were restricted by emergency surgery on the day of issue. I was able to pickup coins only on April 19th, 4 weeks after issue.