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Click to see image of signed note. Pick-lk S162 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Click front for Specimen with 1881 Serial # range Pick-lk Unlisted | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Click front for Specimen with 1881 Serial # range - Pick-lk Unlisted |
Front : Decorative vertical panels on either side with Numeric
value on top and bottom Guilloche with engraving in central
ellipse. Repeated Microprinting of value as Numeric and in English.
Panel on left has Crowned Empress Victoria seated on throne
with a seven arced shell behind. A scroll in her left hand and chalis(?)
in her right hand. Standing lion on either and Sailing boat on left,
Coconut palm and building on right. A basket of fruit at her feet.
The panel on right Bust of Mercury with caduceus.
In centered Decorative horizontal panels
KANDY on top and and CEYLON at bottom.
Within panels on top Center, arced name
THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION with legend
INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER below.
Crowned British Royal Coat of arms within oblate belt with legend
HONO SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
supported by rampant lion crowned facing forward on left and unicorn
chained with garter on right. Lion standing left on crown. Below
DIEU ET MON DROIT in scroll.
On either side Denomination
රුපියල්
Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination
ரூபாய்
in Thamil on right, with Seriel No below.
Within color shaded rectangle
Promise to pay the Bearer on demand at their Branch here
or at their Bank in Colombo
DENOMINATION RUPEES , Value received
Below KANDY with date as day month year.
At center huge value in words RUPEES outlined in another Color,
and taller than shaded region overlays it, Branch and date, as well as
lower part of coart of arms.
Below By Order of the Court of Directors
below on right ______ MANAGER
below which on left
ENTD _____ ACCOUNTT.
At bottom centered just below horizontal decorate in small script
BRADBURY WILKINSON & Co ENGRAVERS &c, LONDON..
Back : On a elaborate decorate of full back of currency Notes
the value in Rupees Numerically and in all three languages, English
repeated many times in small and micro text and once prominently in
Sinhala and Thamil. Two identical Medallic busts face each in middle.
Detailed design of back of each denomination is different from each
other in color and detail.
Denomination | Rs 5 | Rs 10 | Rs 50 | Rs 100 |
Color Vertical bands | Blue-Red-Blue | Red-Blue-Red | Brown-Green-Brown | Green-Brown-Green |
Pair of Busts | Lady with hat | Gent with helmet | Gent with winged cap | Lady with hair bun |
Sinhala Text | Center Upper | left middle | left middle | Center Upper Arc down |
Thamil Text | Center lower | right middle | right middle | Center lower Arc^nbsp;up |
Large Numeric value | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
The Rs 5 note is 14% less wide, and the vertical panel on left has been made narrower. Only part of the engraving of Mercury is shown.
Only Colombo and Kandy Branch notes are signed by Manager. The Notes of other branches signed by Agent. The Notes printed for Colombo don't have phrase or at their Bank in Colombo.
Spink catalog says that Rs 50 and Rs 100 notes were issued for Kandy Branch, but is not specific of dates. Pick (KM-S) catalog does not list them. Neither of them catalogs recognize that there is a slight difference in wording of Date and Text between the Oriental Bank issues of 1850's, 1860's and 1870's.
Text and Images from Spink Auction listings
Rs 5 and
Rs 10 and
Rs 100.
Images estimated to be 154(Rs5), 290(Rs10) and 61(Rs100)
dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.
Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers
1881-1884 Kandy - Rs 5 1881-01-01 K240001-K360000 K246396 K273678 K283327 (KNM) Kandy - Rs 10 1881-01-01 K110001-K185000 K124817 Kandy - Rs 50 1881-01-01 K004001-K005500 Kandy - Rs 100 1881-01-01 K002001-K003500If you know of a Rs 5 Rs 10, Rs50 and Rs100 note issued by Oriental Bank Corporation in Kandy with date between 1881 and 1884 unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You