Sri Lanka's rupee coinage underwent a quiet but significant revision in the early 2010s as the country transitioned away from nickel-brass and copper-nickel alloys toward stainless steel — a cost-driven decision accelerated by rising global metal prices following the 2008 financial crisis. The KM#136.3a designation marks a compositional variant within the 136 series, distinguishing this stainless steel iteration from its predecessors.
Sri Lanka's rupee coinage underwent a quiet but significant revision in the early 2010s as the country transitioned away from nickel-brass and copper-nickel alloys toward stainless steel — a cost-driven decision accelerated by rising global metal prices following the 2008 financial crisis. The KM#136.3a designation marks a compositional variant within the 136 series, distinguishing this stainless steel iteration from its predecessors.