The Asiatic Banking Corporation
- 1864-1866 - Kandy

Currency Notes in Sterling issued between 1864 and 1866 by The Asiatic Banking Corporation, in Kandy, with an engraving of Bank Arms.

Denomination: 10 Shillings
Design Color: Green
Text Color : Black
English : Ten Shillings
Sinhala රුපියල්පහයි
ෂිලින්දහයයි
Thamil பத்துஷீலீன்
ஐந்துரூபாய்
Size : 140 x 118 mm
Date : ___ 18__
Status : Remainder
images/186x_abc_kan_10s_12023_184_xf.jpg&images/186x_abc_kan_10s_wm.jpg
Click to see image of note signed with fictitious 1822 date Pick-lk S106
and click again to see WaterMark image.

Front : On a decorated rectangular wide border centered on top name of Bank in Sinhala යෙසියතික්බන්කිඬ්කොර්පොරේෂන්, on bottom in Thamil யெசியதிக்.பெங்கிங்கொர்ப்பொறேஷன். Denomination in Shillings in Sinhala ෂිලින්දහයයි and Thamil பத்து ஷீலீன் on left and in Rupees in Sinhala රුපියල්පහයි and Thamil ஐந்து ரூபாய் on Right. Within circles at 4 corners Numeric Denomination with unit of currency written on it in English. 10 Shillings in Upper left and lower right. 5 Rupees in lower left and upper right. Within border on top ASIATIC BANKING CORPORATION.
Below in top third, centered crowned British Royal Coat of arms in decorate within belt with legend THE ASIATIC BANKING CORPORATION and below in waving scroll legend INCORPORATED _ BY ROYAL _ CHARTER. On either side TEN SHILLINGS in English in decorate with No ##### below. Below in center third THE ASIATIC BANKING CORPORATION Promises to pay bearer on demand at their Branch here or at their Bank in Colombo in the Currency of the Island TEN SHILLINGS Value received.
Below in Bottom third KANDY. CEYLON. ____ 18__ . Below centered By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line Centered line with Manager to lower right Below line from left with Acct. Two two manuscript signatures if issued. Huge Numeric 10s/- as outline as centered overlay.
Green colored background within Border has micro-text THE ASIATIC BANKING CORPORATION with a white line above and below in center third, and micro-text TEN SHILLINGS and FIVE RUPEES in top and bottom thirds.
In small text outside border in bottom center SMITH ELDER & Co ENGRAVERS LONDON
Back : On a elaborate decorate of full back of currency Note the value in both Shillings and Rupees in all three languages English, Sinhala and Thamil repeated many times in large and small scale. Large 10 SHILLINGS at Center within a circle of dozen small circles with numeric 10 connected by arcs with TEN SHILLINGS. 10 SHILLINGS within a smaller circle with of repeated 10 in middle of top and bottom. 5 RUPEES within circle with of repeated 5 in middle of left and right. Diagonally in Upper left and lower right from out to in 10s/ in circle, Denomination in Shilling in Sinhala ෂිලින්දහයයි and in Thamil பத்து ஷீலீன் within oblates, TEN in small circle. Diagonally in Upper right and lower left from out to in 5Rs. in circle, Denomination in Rupee in Sinhala රුපියල්පහයි and in Thamil ஐந்து ரூபாய் within oblates, FIVE in small circle. In alternating diagonals from upper left to lower right of small 10 and 5 in Diamonds with sides TEN SHILLINGS and FIVE RUPEES fill the background (about 36 each).
Watermark : ASIATIC BANKING in a downward arc above CORPORATION in an upward arc below, Two 4 leaf clover in between on either side, written with Lighter than paper outline.
Printed : Smith Elder & Co Engravers London.
Size : Size of Frame measured on image of this note scanned at 300 dpi, confirmed by measurment of Certified currency note scaled by size of Certification panel derived from a similer certified modern currency note of known size.

Note that the value in vernacular Sinhala and Thamil is also given in Rupees, as the Indian Rupee was the familiar currency in circulation. One Pound Sterling equaled to Ten Rupees.

There are many remainder notes signed with a fictitious date Aug 3rd 1822 which clearly can't be genuine as The Asiatic Banking Corporation was founded only in 1864. It seems to mislead even Spink auction buyers, for example lot with an estimate of £300-400 sold for £1900 in 2006, Unsigned remainders of same note/condition have sold for far less reflected by Estimate..

I thank Dr Srilal Fernando in Australia, for the scan of this unsigned remainder note with serial number 11213 from his father: Late C. S. G. Fernando's collection. Note was scanned at 300 dpi and the images are displayed at 50 dpi.

Please contact kavan @ gmail.com if I have made errors in encoding the Thamil in Unicode.