The Oriental Bank Corporation
1881-1884 - Colombo
Currency Notes in Rupees issued from 1881 to 1884 by The Oriental Bank
Corporation in Colombo, with an engraving of Royal Crest and printed
by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co, London.
Denomination | : 5 Rupees |
Shade Color | : Red |
Value Color | : Pink |
English | : Five Rupees |
Sinhala | : රුපියල්පහයි |
Thamil | : ஐந்துரூபாய் |
Size | : 163 x 128 mm |
Date | : 1st January 1881 |
Status | : Signed |
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| Click to see image of signed note. Pick-lk S142
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Denomination | : 10 Rupees |
Shade Color | : Brown |
Value Color | : Orange |
English | : Ten Rupees |
Sinhala | : රුපියල්දහයයි |
Thamil | : பத்துரூபாய் |
Size | : 197 x 125 mm |
Date | : 1st December 1883 |
Status | : Specimen |
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| Click to see image of signed note. Pick-lk S142A
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Denomination | : 50 Rupees |
Shade Color | : Blue |
Value Color | : Brown |
English | : Fifty Rupees |
Sinhala | : රුපියල්පනහයි |
Thamil | : ஐம்பதுரூபாய் |
Size | : 200 x 128 mm |
Date | : 1st March 1884 |
Status | : Specimen |
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Click front for Specimen with 1881 Serial # range - Pick-lk Unlisted
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Denomination | : 100 Rupees |
Shade Color | : Green |
Value Color | : Pink |
English | : Hundred Rupees |
Sinhala | : රුපියල්සියයයි |
Thamil | : நூறுரூபாய் |
Size | : 197 x 126 mm |
Date | : 1st March 1884 |
Status | : Specimen |
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Click front for Specimen with 1881 Serial # range - Pick-lk Unlisted
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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
COLOMBO 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 Office here
DENOMINATION RUPEES , Value received
Below COLOMBO 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
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Color Vertical bands | Blue-Red-Blue | Red-Blue-Red | Brown-Green-Brown | Green-Brown-Green
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Pair of Busts | Lady with hat | Gent with helmet | Gent with winged cap | Lady with hair bun
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Sinhala Text | Center Upper | left middle | left middle | Center Upper Arc down
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Thamil Text | Center lower | right middle | right middle | Center lower Arc^nbsp;up
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Large Numeric value | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5
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Watermark : ORIENTAL BANK in downward arc above
CORPORATION in line below darker than paper (need to confirm)
Printer : Bradbury Wilkinson & Co, London.
Size : Estimated assuming Frame is same as circulated Rs 5
note measured from the Colombo
National Museum Collection, and assuming size was adopted in inches.
On other denominations the design Frame was assumed to be of same height.
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.
Text and Images from Spink Auction listings
Rs 5 and
Rs 10.
Rs 50 and
Rs 100.
Images estimated to be 75(Rs5), 100(Rs10) 137(Rs50) and 138(Rs100) dpi
and displayed at 50 dpi.
Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers and range of Serials specified in Specimens
1881-1884 Colombo - Rs 5 1881-01-01 C200001-C280000 C200319 C223545(KNM) C244693 C256949
Rs 5 1883-01-01 C280001-C300000
Rs 5 1884-03-01 C300001-C360000
1881-1884 Colombo - Rs 10 1881-01-01 C170001-C250000 C212617 C220759(KNM)
Rs 10 1883-01-01 C250001-C270000 C268768(BMC)
Rs 10 1883-12-01 C270001-C280000
1881-1884 Colombo - Rs 50 1881-01-01 C015001-C019000
Rs 50 1884-03-01 C019001-C023000
1881-1884 Colombo - Rs 100 1881-01-01 C010001-C015000
Rs 100 1884-03-01 C015001-C017000
If you know of a Rs 5 Rs 10, Rs50 or Rs100 note issued by Oriental Bank Corporation
in Colombo with date between 1881 and 1884 unrecorded above,
Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You