The Government of Ceylon : 1894 - 1925
Uniface Ten Rupee Note

The Uniface currency notes of Ten Rupees issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency of The Government of Ceylon, with the standard front format of Colonial currency, with 4 Serial Numbers. This Type of Rs 10 note has 12 known dates with 9 Signature pairs between 1894 September to 1925 October. There could be unknown dates before 1909.

images/1921_tgoc_10r_wm.jpg
LK:SCWPM #012Highlighted Watermark image. Click to see 1921
The Notes are 203 by 127 mm i.e. 8 by 5 inches with a 6-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., London
Handmade paper manufactured by Messrs Portals

Front : Black and Green on White paper with huge TEN at center background. THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of. In a 6-inch bar the value in words TEN RUPEES with Micro printing of same around. On either side, a numeric 10 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle. Just below the value රුපියල් දහයයි in Sinhala to left, and பத்து ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. The Dark Blue Serial number above and below on both left and right, with Colombo, date: day Month Year, centered below. In panel in two lines FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON with Micro printing of same around at bottom left. Two facsimile signatures at right and COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. below.
Printer name THOS.DE LA RUE & CO LONDON. in tiny font at bottom left.
Back : Blank
Water-mark : At center huge TEN RUPEES in 2 lines dark with light shadow to lower right. A vertical triple ZigZag lines dark with light between to right, and light Elephant and Dagaba Bubble shaped with Pinnacle and lightning conductor to the upper left with a light leafy liyavala below it. Centered below within decorative panel with light rectangular border THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON dark with light outline.

Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #
known
Last Serial #
known
Mintage
in K

E. Noel Walker

F. R. Saunders
1st September 1894 B/6 45095B/7 00000

H. Clifford

Bernard Senior
18th May 1908 B/?? ??001B/?? ??000
1st November 1909 B/24 79258 B/30 75000 >596

R. E. Stubbs

Bernard Senior
20th January 1913 B/30 75001 B/33 25000 250
Please Help refine knowledge on Dates and Prefix+Serial in Government of Ceylon bankNotes of 1885 and 1909. Thanks.

1913_tgoc_10r_secretmarks
LK:SCWPM #0113 Secret Marks identified
Commencing from serial number B/33 25001 of 20th January 1913 Secret Marks were introduced to Currency Notes.

Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #Mintage
in K

R. E. Stubbs

Bernard Senior
20th January 1913 B/33 25001 250
1st April 1914 B/35 75001 250
1st April 1915 B/38 25001 250

A. S. Pagden

Bernard Senior
15th May 1919 B/40 75001 500

Graeme Thomson

Bernard Senior
8th December 1919 B/45 75001 600
1st October 1921 B/51 75001 500

B. Horsburgh

W. W. Woods
1st September 1922 B/56 75001 750

C. Clementi

F. J. Smith
1st September 1923 B/64 25001 100

C. Clementi

W. W. Woods
1st October 1924 B/65 25001 421
1st October 1925 B/69 46001 400

E. B. Alexander

W. W. Woods
1stOctober 1925 B/73 46001 1070

The notes were demonetized with all notes dated before January 1, 1940 on 1946 April 13th and ceased to be legal tender with effect July 31, 1946.

The details of this issue are from Sri Lanka Currency of Recent Times 1938-1985 T. M. U. Sallay, 1986 Colombo:Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The 1894 specimen is at 138 dpi and the 1925 specimen is at 200 dpi are all from a Spink Auction Listings and displayed at 50 dpi.
Click on image to see alternate image below it.

The watermark image was Photoshoped from an image of a sheet of four Rs 10 watermark paper image posted in 2022 July Spink Auction 22177 Lot 107 which sold for £1178 including BP and VAT. The watermarks for 1894 to 1925 as seen on Banknote is observed to be similar as this for 1887.

I thank Eranda Adikaram for the Watermark image from his 1921 Oct 1st Rs10 BankNote B/51 85832

Note that if Banknote has photographed with a black background and digital contrast enhanced, it effectively inverts Dark to light and light to dark as seen faintly on this Banknote image. It is best to image Watermarks with a bright light behind.

If you have this note, I would be grateful to get a 300 dpi scan which will be posted with desired acknowledgement.