Ceylon - Prisoner of Boer War
Diyatalawa Prisoners' Enclosure

Diyatalawa, overseas Prisoner of War Camp, Ceylon. First type. The Diyatalawa camp opened on 1900 August 9th

Denomination : 50 Cents Size : 114 x 83 mm Underprint Color : Green Value Color : Purple Date : 7- MAR 1901 Known Serial Range :108 to 3868 Ineson Catalog : 205
Denomination : 1 Rupee Size : 114 x 83 mm Underprint Color : Yellow Value Color : Red Date : 5- APR 1901 Known Serial Range :14 to 7995 Ineson Catalog : 206
Denomination : 5 Rupees Size : 114 x 83 mm Underprint Color : Turquoise Value Color : Beige Date : 15 MAR 1901 Known Serial Range :196 to 2533 Ineson Catalog : 207
Denomination : 10 Rupee Size : 114 x 83 mm Underprint Color : Pink Value Color : Dark Blue Date : 4- MAR 1901 Known Serial Range : 69 to 1171 Ineson Catalog : 208
Front: Royal arms top centre, GOOD FOR on either side below black text on Color mosaic under-print with a center vertical and three horizontal divisions, value in Color at centre in words within Floral design and in black upper left and right in numerals, Current only within the Prisoners' Enclosure and payable at the Office of the Officer in charge of Prisoners of War, Diyatalawa. Hand-stamped Black serial number top left and right (erased), Hand-stamped purple date D MON 190(1-2) on lower left, Dates have been recorded from 4 March 1901 until 8 May 1902. Hand-stamped purple signature of Lieut-Col.Vincent with Commdr's. P.O.W. below on lower right Back: Blank

Some of these notes were cancelled with a large hand-stamp once they were with drawn. The word 'CANCELLED' is known in both red and purple ink.

The 1999 Catalog by John Ineson, lists a second type of Diyatalawa PoW notes printed with a layout similer to the notes used in the POW camp at Trichinopoly in south India. The detail of the central floral design and font sizes are different. The Full set of four of these notes at the Bayerische HypoVereinsbank in Munich, Germany is probably a patern which was discarded. They are not signed and in a creased condition. Also unusual is that the numbering of the notes are in sequence

50 cents	950	(Ineson 210)
1 Rupee	951	(Ineson 211)
5 Rupees	952	(Ineson 212)
10 Rupees	952	(Ineson 213)

Known Serial Range from Paper Currency of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 by John Ineson, published by Spink in 1999.
Image at 235 dpi displayed at 50 dpi. Text edited from Online Auction Listing.

Warning These Notes have been replicated and Sold as Replica on eBay. I suspect some of these replicas have been degraded to look old and sold on eBay as genuine. The hand signature is identical and at same exact location. To confirm look under very high magnification, or scan without descreen at 1200dpi. In the replica the signature ink line is clearly printed as dots.