The Oriental Bank Corporation
1870-1880 - Colombo

Currency Notes in Rupees issued from 1870 to 1880 by The Oriental Bank Corporation in Colombo, with an engraving of Royal Crest.

Denomination: 5 Rupees
Note Color: Unknown
English : Five Rupees
Sinhala : රුපියල්පහයි
Thamil : ஐந்துரூபாய்
Size : 149 x 115 mm
Date : 1st Jany 1876
Status : Specimen
Pick-lk S141a
Denomination: 10 Rupees
Note Color: Black
English : Ten Rupees
Sinhala : රුපියල්දහයයි
Thamil : பத்துரூபாய்
Size : 191 x 116 mm
Date : 15th Decr 1877
Status : Signed
images/oba/1879-02-01_obc_cmb_10r_C162285_f.jpg&images/oba/1877_obc_cmb_10r_110211456_f.jpg&images/oba/1870_obc_cmb_10r_115230572_sf.jpg
Click to see image of signed note of 1877 and again for Proof. Pick-lk S143a

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 COLOMBO, CEYLON Date as Day Month Year.
Within shaded rectangle
THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promises to pay Bearer on demand at their Office here DENOMINATION RUPEES , Value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line
Entd _____ Accountt ______ Manager
Back : Spirographic design different for each denomination.
Below design small script Perkins Bacon & Co, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate..
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.

Text and Images from Spink Auction listings Rs 5 and Rs 10.
Images estimated to be 83(Rs5) and 65(Rs10) dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers 

1870-1880 Colombo -     Rs   5  1876-01-01   C150915  
                        Rs  10  1870-01-01   C103436(KNM) C116538
                        Rs  10  1877-12-15   C150915(SCWPM) 
                        Rs  10  1879-02-01   C162285(BMC)
I thank Jonathan Callaway for the image of the 1879 Rs10 from BM collection. If you know of a Rs 5 or Rs 10 note issued by Oriental Bank Corporation in Colombo with date between 1870 and 1879 unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You

The circulated 1870-01-01 Rs 10 note has the printer name Perkins Bacon & Petch, London which was changed soon after Petch died in 1852. Its appearance on this note may indicate that they were reusing most of the decorative art on the Note, replacing the Bank Branch, Date, and even legality statement.
If you have any dated Ceylon Oriental Bank Corporation notes 1852-1880 please Help by letting me know the name of the printer, the Branch City, date and denomination on the note so that this the discrepancy can be further investigated.