The Sri Lankan rupee is Sri Lanka's official currency, divided into 100 cents. Banknotes range from 10 to 5000 rupees, and coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents. The rupee was introduced in 1836, alongside the British pound, but became the dominant currency. In 1869, it became Sri Lanka's official currency. Since 1972, coins have featured a symbol of armaments, but these coins are now inactive and illegal for transactions. The national bank has released a new series of coins.