The Oriental Bank Corporation
1870-1880 - Galle

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

Denomination: 5 Rupees
Note Color: Black
English : Five Rupees
Sinhala : රුපියල්පහයි
Thamil : ஐந்துரூபாய்
Size : 159 x 125 mm
Date : 1st May 1877
Status : Signed
Pick-lk Unlisted
Denomination: 10 Rupees
Note Color: Black
English : Ten Rupees
Sinhala : රුපියල්දහයයි
Thamil : பத்துரூபாய்
Size : 190 x 116 mm
Date : 15th April 1875
Status : Signed
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 GALLE, CEYLON 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 , Value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line
Entd _____ Accountt ______ Agent
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 170(Rs5) and 235(Rs10) dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.

Image of Rs 10 note from Kandy National Museum was published in in book History of Coins and Currency in Sri Lanka by G. P. S. H. de Silva published in 2001 by Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers 

1870-1880 Galle -       Rs   5  1877-05-01   G39227
                        Rs  10  1875-04-15   G15700(KNM)
If you know of a Rs 5 or Rs 10 note issued by Oriental Bank Corporation in Galle with date between 1870 and 1880 unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You