Patterns of Ceylon BankNotes
1942-1972
By Dr Kavan Ratnatunga
(IBNS:12165-R)
While essays are Banknote designs that were not
used on issued currency notes, are printed uniface or with Dummy
signatures, Patterns are Specimens that have been printed as a
banknote with facsimile signatures, but were never issued as currency
for different reasons.
Ceylon Private Banknotes were not Specialised issues and were the only
legal tender in Ceylon from 1856 to 1884. In 2024 June, Owen
W. Linzmayer, Editor The Banknote Book, undertook a major upgrade to
incorporated them into the Ceylon Volume of the BanknoteBook based on
the information I had compiled in my notes.lakdiva.org
website.
Owen decided to retain few essays and Patterns in the Banknote book
and to make it consistent I asked him to add the others that meet the
same criterion and I separated them out as essays and Patterns in my
website.
Few interesting observation from some of these patterns.
- King George VI Pictorial Thousand Rupees
pattern dated 1st
February 1941 with signatures of H.J. Huxham and C.H. Collins. with
legality Promise to Pay unlike the issued
note.
On display in the CBSL currency Museum.
- The Green 2c+3c=5c pattern
was not issued to public but is on display in the CBSL currency
Museum and Printed in their Publications witout any indication that it
was only a pattern which was never issued.
- Two 25 cent patterns
printed in the Currency Note Press (CNP) a division of the India
Security Press (ISP), Nasik. One is uniquely diiferent from the issued
note, and the other could be a color trial.
- King George VI Pictorial Ten Thousand Rupees
pattern dated 7th May
1946 with signatures of O. E. Goonetilleke and C. E. Jones.
Published in CBSL 60th Anniversary Volume with caption for the note
dated 15th October 1947 and introduced in 1947 December for inter-bank
transactions only.
- In the final patterns
the Rs 2 got image of Medirigiriya Vatadage in medieval City of
Polonnaruwa rather than just the its ornate stone Balustrade, the
image of Sage Pulasthi changed from a side view to a front view in the
back of Rs5 and the Rs50 got the Moonstone at base of the stone
stairway to Queens Pavilion in Ancient City of Anuradhapura, rather
than Kiri Vehera in the background of Lankatilleke image House in the
medieval city of Polonnaruwa.
Only the Rs1 and Rs 10 were issued
dated 1951 January 20th as King George VI died on 1952 February 6th.
- The SLFP led by Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike won the Parliamentary
elections held on 1970 May 27th and introduce new constitution dated
1972 May 22nd. The pattern with
her portrait was not adopted for issue.
The Government of CeylonGC Promise to Pay
1941-02-01 CNP Rs1000 C - GoC King George VI Pictorial pattern
GC Legal Tender
1942-06-01 CGP 5 Cents C - GoC KGVI 2c+3c Stamps pattern
1942-07-14 CNP 25 Cent C - GoC King George VI pattern
1946-05-07 CNP Rs10,000 C - GoC King George VI pattern
Central Bank of Ceylon
1951-01-20 BWCL Rs2-Rs100 C - CBC KGVI Final patterns
Republic of Sri Lanka
1972-05-22 BWCL Rs2-Rs10 C - CBC Mrs SirimavoB patterns
C Both sides printed as an unissued currency note essay
If you have any unlisted patterns from Ceylon or images of parts of
Auction lots for which images have not been posted online, or images
of higher resolution please contribute to kavanr @ gmail.com