Bank of Ceylon
1844 Colombo

The Bank of Ceylon came into existence around 1840 but had no authority to issue notes till local Government passed Ordinance No 23 of 1844.

A BoC 1 Pound Proof from the British Library Philatelic Collection appears to be older than the series of BoC Notes which includes an unsigned £2 with a serial number from the British Museum. This Proof has a Promise to pay rather than will receive, signed by the By order of the Court of Directors rather than For the Directors & Company, does not have the name of the Bank in Sinhala and Thamil, and the BoC logo does not have an unexpected Camel.

Denomination: 1 £
English : One Pound
Sinhala : පවඬ් එකයි
Thamil : ஒரு பவுன்ட்
Size : 210 x 133 mm
Date : 18(44)
Status : Proof
Pick-lk Unlisted

Front : On top Center in circular logo, Britannia with helmet seated facing forward, Shield with Union Jack under her right hand, lion sleeping right and a rolled package near her feet in front. Trident pointing up in left hand. Behind from left to right a Sailing ship, two coconut palms, Elephant standing right, and steam boat with sails down. All within belt represented by two plain circles between which legend INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER above and a buckle at bottom.
On either side numeric value in decorated ellipse with above value  පවඬ්එකයි in Sinhala and below  ஒருபவுன்? in Thamil.
Below on either side No and space for Serial Number.
Below centered COLOMBO _______18___.
Below in a rectangle shaded with microprint onepound THE BANK OF CEYLON Promises to pay the Bearer on demand at their office here in the Currency of the Island ONE POUND Value received.
Below By order of the Court of Directors .
On left within shaded decorate value in words in two lines, ONE POUND
Below Exd & Entd with space for signatures Manager on right and Accountt below center
At bottom middle in small text Perkins Bacon & Petch, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate.
Back : Blank ?
Watermark: Unknown
Printed : Perkins Bacon & Petch, London.
The Bank of Ceylon was founded in 1840; a branch was opened in Colombo in 1841 June, and another in Kandy in 1843. The Bank of Ceylon was taken over by the Oriental Bank in 1849.

The 200 dpi web image is posted at 50 dpi.
I thank Richard Scott Morel of the British Library in London UK for sending me from their Philatelic Collections, an 600 dpi image of this Bank of Ceylon 1£ proof which he published at 50 dpi in IBNS Journal 2018 Vol 57-1 Figure 28.