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Sri Lanka’s highest-value banknote is the Rs. 5,000 note, so news of a Rs. 10,000 note was always going to travel fast. On October 26, 2026, a “Breaking News” graphic claiming that the Central Bank had introduced a new Rs. 10,000 notes spread across Facebook, with users mocking new JVP and National People’s Power (NPP) supporters for celebrating it as a sign of national progress. Here are the posts that carried it.
Social Media Posts
Facebook | Facebook | Facebook
Fact Crescendo examined whether the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had in fact introduced a new Rs. 10,000 notes.
Fact Check
No Media Report or Central Bank Announcement on Rs. 10,000 Note
We first checked whether any mainstream media outlet had reported the release of a Rs. 10,000 note by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. We found no such report. The Central Bank had not made any such announcement either: its press releases carried no notice of a new note, and neither did its official Facebook page.
Rs. 5,000 Is Still the Highest Note in Circulation
The Central Bank’s official FAQ page on currency lists the notes now in circulation, and the highest denomination on that list is Rs. 5,000. Archived Link
Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Currency FAQs
The Central Bank Confirmed No Rs. 10,000 Note Has Been Printed
When we contacted the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, officials told us that no Rs. 10,000 note had been printed in Sri Lanka and that the claim was false. They also confirmed that there were no immediate plans to issue such a note, and that the Rs. 5,000 note remained the highest-value note in circulation.
The Viral Note Was Made by Editing a Rs. 1,000 Note
A closer look at the viral note, which carries the issue date October 10, 2026, shows that the signature printed as the Finance Minister’s is not the signature normally used by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who also holds the finance portfolio.
The serial number prefixes on Sri Lankan banknotes differ by denomination. The Rs. 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 notes use the letters W, V, U, T, S and R respectively. The viral Rs. 10,000 notes carry the letter S, which is the prefix used on Rs. 1,000 notes.
This shows that the image was created by altering a Rs. 1,000 note now in circulation. The comparison below sets the viral image beside the original note.
ALTERED
ORIGINAL
An AI-Generated Rs. 10,000 Note With President Dissanayake’s Portrait Is Also Circulating
A second image, claiming that a Rs. 10,000 note had been printed with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s portrait, is also being shared. It first circulated around May this year. This is not the first fake Rs. 10,000 note : in November 2023, Fact Crescendo found that a viral “new Rs. 10,000 note” was a doctored Rs. 5,000 note (read it here).
The note shows obvious flaws, with fonts, colours and lettering that are not used on Sri Lankan banknotes. These include the wording “Rupiyal Dasa Dahasai” and a faint “100” behind the lion emblem. The image also carries the Google Gemini watermark, which shows it was created with artificial intelligence (AI).
Also Read: What Is the Currency Note That Was Issued With the Signature of the President?
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Conclusion
Our investigation found that the claim that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has introduced a new Rs. 10,000 note is false. The viral image was created by editing a Rs. 1,000 note, while a second image showing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on a Rs. 10,000 note was generated with Google Gemini.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka confirmed to Fact Crescendo that no Rs. 10,000 note has been printed and there are no immediate plans to issue one. Its official currency FAQ lists Rs. 5,000 as the highest-value note in circulation.
