2000 Rupees

The 2000 Rupee denomination was introduced as part of Sri Lanka's 2005–2006 series during a period of acute fiscal pressure — the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami had devastated the country's coastline and forced emergency reconstruction spending that stretched government finances considerably. A high-denomination note of this value was a practical response to inflationary pressure on everyday transactions rather than a symbolic gesture.

Thomas De La Rue's involvement with Sri Lankan currency printing stretches back decades, making this a continuation of a long commercial relationship rather than a new contract. The security package on this issue is notably modest for the denomination — thread and watermark only, without the optically variable devices that appeared on contemporaneous high-value notes from comparable economies.