The Oriental Bank Corporation
1864-1869 - Ceylon

Currency Notes in Rupees issued from 1864 to 1869 by The Oriental Bank Corporation in Ceylon, with an engraving of Royal Crest.

Denomination: 5 Rupees
Note Color: Gray
English : Five Rupees
Sinhala : රුපියල්පහයි
Thamil : ஐந்துரூபாய்
Size : 148 x 112 mm
Date : 15th Feby 1864
Status : Proof
Pick-lk Unlisted

Front : A decorated rectangular wide border with no text. 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 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
On either side alpha-numeric Denomination with unit below in decorate, with above රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination ரூபாய் in Thamil on right, with Serial No below. Centered below CEYLON and Date as Day Month Year.
Within shaded rectangle
THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promises to pay Bearer on demand at their Branch here, or at their Bank in Colombo 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
Entd _____ Accountt ______ Agent
In bottom left just inside border in small script Perkins, Bacon & Co, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate..
Back : Spirographic design.
Watermark : ORIENTAL BANK in downward arc above CORPORATION in line below darker than paper (need to confirm)
Printed : Perkins Bacon & Co, 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 other denominations the same Royal Charter Engraving was assumed to be of same size.

Note that these currency notes have been issued in Rupees when Pounds Sterling was legal and therefore has the phrase or the equivalent in the Currency of the Island, which is removed from the currency notes issued after monetary reform in 1869.

Without Branch in Ceylon explicit, this Proof could have been the Prototype for notes issued in 1864 for Jaffna or Badulla. Galle first issued in 1866. Kandy notes are different as signed by Manager, and statement in Colombo Note is are specific to Colombo.

Text and Images from Spink Auction listings Rs 5 Images estimated to be 155 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers 

1864-1869 Ceylon -      Rs   5  1864-02-15
If you know of a Rs 5 or Rs 10 Proof note of Oriental Bank Corporation in Ceylon, without branch, with date between 1864 and 1869 unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You