The Oriental Bank Corporation
1853-1863 - Colombo

Denomination : 5 Rupees Note Color : Unknown English : Five Rupees Size : 151 x 116 mm Date : ___ 18__ Status : Proof
Pick-lk S141
Denomination : 10 Rupees Note Color : Unknown English : Ten Rupees Size : 188 x 115 mm Date : ___ 18__ Status : Searching
	Click to see digitally created Proof image. Pick-lk S143

Front : A decorated rectangular wide border with no text. Within border on top Center, below arced legend INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER crowned British Royal Court of arms within belt with legend HONO SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (French motto of the order of Garter translates to "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it") with couchant lion crowned facing arms on left and couchant unicorn chained with garter looking back away from arms on right. Below in scroll DIEU ET MON DROIT (The French motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom, translates to God and My Right.)
On either side alpha-numeric Denomination with unit below in decorate, and Serial No below. Centered below COLOMBO, CEYLON ___ 18___
Within shaded rectangle
THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promises to pay Bearer on demand at their Office here DENOMINATION RUPEES or the equivalent in the Currency of the Island, Value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line
Ent^d _____ Account^t ______ Manager
In bottom left just inside border in small script Perkins, Bacon & Petch, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate.
Back : Spirographic design?
Watermark : None seen in BMC issued Rs10 note. Printed : Perkins Bacon & Petch, London.
Size : Estimated assuming Frame is same as circulated Rs 5 note measured from the Colombo National Museum Collection, and assuming size was adopted in inches. On Rs10 denomination the same Royal Charter Engraving was assumed to be of same size.

Note the absence of any Sinhala or Thamil text in this early undated colorless Proof,
which appear in the undated Kandy Specimen note issued in the 1850's as well as the older notes. So maybe, just this Proof that lacks Sinhala and Thamil and not the issued notes.
I thank Thomas Hockenhull of British Museum for confirming that Sinhala and Thamil Text appears on issued Rs 10 note, and name of Printer. CIB.15751 1^st July 1853 OBC Rs 10 with Serial Number C33713(BMC) was imaged with permission in Study Room on 2023 May 25th.

I thank Jonathan Callaway for reference from his The Perkins Bacon Story 2015 Winter Spink Insider Issue 23 page 32.

Text and Images from Spink Auction listings Rs 5 and Rs 10.
Auction Image at about 82 dpi is displayed at 50 dpi.