Sri Lanka: unadopted designs

[eurocoin]

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Adult Franchise in 1981, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka wanted to issue a circulating commemorative 5 rupees coin. Freelance designer Michael Hibbit made the following designs for The Royal Mint.



     

[eurocoin]

[eurocoin]

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka presumably did not like the designs and sent its own design to the Royal Mint which was likely made by a local designer. The coin was modelled by Royal Mint artist Robert Elderton.



     

[eurocoin]

At the same time in 1981, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka wanted to issue a circulating commemorative 2 rupees FAO coin which had to depict the Mahaweli Dam. The Central Bank provided the Royal Mint some images of the dam which included a rough sketch of what they wanted the coin to look like.

On what is left of the sketch, 2 wheat spikes can be seen in the foreground, the Dam in the middle and electricity poles in the background.

[eurocoin]

Again freelance artist Michael Hibbit was asked by the Royal Mint to submit designs. These can be seen below. Mr Hibbit felt it necessary to adhere as closely as possible to the sketch provided by the Central Bank and so he didn't have a great scope. That is why the 2 designs that he submitted are rather similar.



     

[eurocoin]

Once more the Central Bank of Sri Lanka presumably didn't like the designs that were made. They submitted their own design that was likely made by a local artist. The design was modelled by Royal Mint artist Robert Elderton.

[quaziright]

Honestly, the local design looked better each time. Glad the central bank ignored those hibbet designs

[<k>]

Voting is rather a boring subject. The UK's suffragette 50 pence design is rather boring. So yes, in this case a nice design of the parliament does the trick. Dams, again they are not easy to do, as there is a lot of detail there. The issued coin does catch the sense of lots of flowing water, that Michael Hibbit's designs missed. Usually his designs are superb, but maybe he didn't feel at home with this subject.

[quaziright]

The second voting design looked especially weird. I couldn't put my finger on it till I realised that the man and woman were voting together... which sounds nice; but it completely negates the concept of secret ballot !

The first design too with the English lion on top of the Sri Lankan symbol; while I can imagine he thought that voting began during the British rule days and continued into independence; it looks to me that the lion on top holding the sword dominates or takes precedence over the Sri Lankan animal. I imagine the sri lankans didn't take kindly to that ! And then the other one with just the hands ... again the male hand votes ahead of the female hand (very presumptuous to put bangles on the female hand)

The British designs just seemed riddled with potentially objectionable iconography.