The Government of Ceylon : 1917 - 1922
Uniface Two Rupees Note

The Uniface currency notes of Two Rupees first issued on 10th November 1917 by the Board of Commissioners of Currency of The Government of Ceylon, with the standard front format of Colonial currency, with 4 Serial Numbers used since 1894. Replaced the first single date design issued on 1st March 1917 in same year. This Type of Rs 2 note has 3 dates with 2 Signature pairs between 1917 to 1922.

1917_tgoc_2r_front 1917_tgoc_2r_back
LK:SCWPM #018
The Notes are 127 by 76 mm i.e. 5 by 3 inches with a 4½-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London
Paper manufactured by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.

Front : Dark Brown and Green on White paper with huge Green outline of TWO at center filled with horizontal microprint TWO RUPEES. In Dark Brown on Gilloche Pattern underprint THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of the value in words TWO RUPEES in 4.5-inch a bar, with on either side, a numeric 2 within an octagon with sides arced in, filled with radial-in microprint CEYLONGOVT. Just below Bar the value රුපියල් දෙකයි in Sinhala to left, and இரண்டு ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Colombo, Date: day Month Year, centered below. Two facsimile signatures right of center bracketed with COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. in two lines to right. The Dark Green Serial number above and below below on both left and right in ellipse filled with radial-out microprint TWORUPEES. FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON in two lines in panel at bottom left. Printer name small at upper edge of bottom margin below THOS.DE LA RUE & CoLTD LONDON.
1917_tgoc_2r_watermark Back : Blank
Watermark : At center Huge TWO RUPEES in 2 lines dark 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. Text THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON light centered below.

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

R. E. Stubbs
Bernard Senior 		10th November 1917 G/l 00001 3400
23rd March 1918 G/35 00001 3000

Graeme Thomson
Bernard Senior 		1st October 1921 G/65 00001 1000

images/1921-10-01_tgoc_2r_G72-48794_f.jpg
Click to see other 1921 image
Sallay Lists G/65 - G/74 or 1 Million Rs 2 notes with date 1st September 1922 with Signatues of B. Horsburgh & W.W. Woods. However, Internet images of six G/69 to G/72 with date 1st October 1921 have been reported by Dilminidu Samarasekara. SCWPM also reports the 1921 date. It is suspected as an error in Sallay's book and date and signature for those Rs 2 banknotes have been changed to 1921 in table above. Please E-mail image if you have a Ceylon 1922 Rs 2 note.

Sallay says These were successfully counterfeited and as a result no rupees two denomination was issued for sometime afterwards.

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 VF- note was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.
It was won on eBay in 2016 from a dealer in USA.
The watermark image was Photoshoped from an image of a sheet of four Rs 2 watermark paper posted in 2022 July in an eBay Auction by seller tiger9819, which sold for US$200.