The Chartered Mercantile Bank
of India, London & China
Ceylon Branch - 1870-1884 - Kandy

Denomination : 5 Rupees Note Color : Brown Overprint Color : Green English : Five Sinhala : රුපියල් පහයි Thamil : ஐந்து ரூபாய் Size : 176 x 114 mm Date : 1 Jan 1870 Status : Signed
Click to see Signed and Proof without FIVE Overprint. Pick-lk S127, S129
Denomination : 10 Rupees Note Color : Blue Overprint Color : Red English : Ten Sinhala : රුපියල් දහයයි Thamil : பத்து ரூபாய் Size : 185 x 115 mm Date : 1 Jan 1870 Status : Specimen
Click to see Proof without TEN Overprint and July date. Pick-lk Unlisted
Denomination : 50 Rupees Note Color : Green Overprint Color : Red English : Fifty Sinhala : රුපියල් පනහයි Thamil : ஐம்பது ரூபாய் Size : 179 x 115 mm Date : 1 July 1870 Status : Specimen
Click to see Proof without FIFTY Overprint and image with watermark highlighted - Pick-lk Unlisted

Front : On a decorated rectangular wide border centered on top CEYLON BRANCH. on bottom, රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Within border on top Center, below arced legend INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER crowned British Royal Coat of arms within belt with legend HONO SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE supported by lion on left and unicorn on right. Lion standing left on crown. Below in scroll DIEU ET MON DROIT
On either side numeric Denomination in decorate and RUPEES below, with රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala above on left and Denomination ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Below centered N^o ##### KANDY 1^st JanY 1870 N^o ##### .
Within shaded rectangle THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promise to pay bearer on demand here or at COLOMBO DENOMINATION RUPEES value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line Ent^d _____ ACCOUNT^t ______ MANAGER
In small text within border in lower left corner PERKINS BACON & C^o, LONDON
The value in words DENOMINATION on five interlocking circle/ellipses background Overprinted in color.
Back : Ornate Spirographic design with Numeric Value within on either side.
Watermark : CHARTERED MERCANTILE in downward arc above OF INDIA LONDON & CHINA in upward arc below lighter than paper and BANK in center
seen only on higher Denomination Rs50 of HSBC Specimens. None seen on lower Denominations Rs 5 and 10.
Printed : Perkins Bacon & C^o London.
Size : Estimated assuming Frame is same as circulated note measurered from the Colombo National Museum Collection, and asuming size was adopted in inches is same for every denomination.

The Rs 5 denomination has a slightly different design to the others. 1) In front on upper left and right, instead of the Numeric Denomination in decorate and RUPEES below, there is FIVE RUPEES within decorate. 2) At back Spirographic design, at four corners and FIVE RUPEES within large decorate at center. The printers name below in small text centered is Perkins Bacon & C^o, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers

1870-1884 Kandy - Rs    5  1870-01-01
                  Rs    5  1870-07-01   31553
                  Rs    5  1873-11-01
                  Rs   10  1870-01-01
                  Rs   10  1870-07-01
                  Rs   50  1870-07-01

I thank Claire Twinn, Global Functions Archives Manager, HSBC Holdings PLC, London for sending me in 2020 February, the image of the Specimen Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 50 notes from the HSBC Collection. Reproduced with the permission of HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC Archives) Reduced image to 200 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.

Text and Images from Spink Auction listings Rupees 5, 10 and 50
Auction Images at about 67 dpi

Proof images and Text from Auction Catalog Listing.

I thank Percy Siganporia of Mumbai for the scans of the 1870 January and July Rs10 Proofs from his specialized collection of Rupees 10 banknotes.