The Mercantile Bank
of India, London & China
Ceylon Branch - 1857 - Colombo

Denomination : 5 Shillings Note Color : Black Overprint Color : Blue English : Five Shillings Sinhala : සිලින් පහයි Thamil : ஐந்து ஷீலீன் Size : 148 x 112 mm Date : 1857 Status : Signed
	Pick-lk S131
Denomination : 1 Pound Note Color : Black Overprint Color : Blue English : One Sinhala : පවඬ් පකයි(sic) Thamil : ஒரு பவுண்ட் Size : 175 x 100 mm Date : ___ 18__ < 1858 Status : Specimen
	Click to see Specimen with No Printer name. Pick-lk Unlist
Denomination : 5 Pounds Note Color : Black Overprint Color : Blue English : Five Sinhala : පවඬ් පහයි Thamil : அஞ்த பவுண்ட் Size : 175 x 100 mm Date : ___ 18__ < 1858 Status : Specimen
	Pick-lk Unlist

Front : On a decorated rectangular wide border centered on top CEYLON BRANCH. Within border on top Center, Helmeted Britannia(Queen Boudica) seated facing forward, Spear pointed up in right hand Shield with Union Jack in her left hand with crown on top, Anchor, two packages and steam boat with sails down with mountain behind to right. Sailing Ship, package, bale, sleeping lion, Caduceus and coconut palm on right. Small Batho & C^o London below. On either side numeric 5 SHILLINGS in decorate above N^o ##### . Below COLOMBO on left, and ____ 18__ on right.
THE MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promises to pay bearer on demand at its Branch in COLOMBO in the Currency of the Island DENOMINATION value rec^d
Below By Order of the Directors above in one line Ent^d _____ ACC^Tt ______ MANAGER
Value as large denomination as FIVE or ONE in background in light Blue.
Back : Blank ?
WaterMark : Probabaly None, but need to confirm
Printed : Batho & C^o London.
Size : From Kandy Note from HSBC Archive,

On 5 Shilling word SHILLINGS on large denomination FIVE.
Small denomination vertical සිලින් පහයි in Sinhala on left and ஐந்து ஷீலீன் in Thamil on Right of Engraving. This Sinhala and Thamil have probably also been hand stamped as they are not aligned exactly. This would explain their absence in the Kandy Proof Signed with vertical hand Stamp ISSUED AT KANDY. in center.

Private Bank issue of Banknotes (Unstamped Promissory Notes) with a face value of £1 and higher was authorized by Ceylon Ordinance 1844 No 23 which was replaced by Ceylon Ordinance 1861 No 2 which authorized the issue of Banknotes with a face value of 10 Shillings and higher.

The 5 Shilling note shown above includes a serial number and hand stamped denomination in Sinhala and Thamil text and an apparent hand written signature and date 1^st July 1857 faintly readable on high contast image on right. However it is unlikely that the 5 Shilling note could have entered circulation since it was never Authorized. This, only such signed note known, is from the 2011 Spink Auction of Ceylon Notes.

The Sinhala script has been written obscenely for Pound one පවඬ් එකයි (as sic පකයි). This Error in Sinhala Text was corrected when the note was issued in 1864, but which included similar errors in the Sinhala Text for Rupees 50 and Rs 100 notes.

The engraving has lot in common with the Ceylon Government Treasury Notes of 1850 but excluding the Elephant. Same engraving used in Hong Kong.

5 Shilling Scanned Image from Auction Catalog at estimated 288 dpi; Image and £5 from Spink Auction on 2024 Oct 8th lots £1 lot 48 (No Printer name) £1 lot 49 and £5 lot 50 are displayed at 50 dpi.

the £1 and £5 from Spink Auction displayed at 50 dpi.

Text from Spink Auction 2011 April of 19th Century Ceylon Notes.