The Government of Ceylon : 1929 - 1939
Elephant Logo backed Fifty Rupees Note

The Fifty Rupees currency note with Elephant logo at back 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 used since 1894. This Type of Rs 50 note has 5 dates with 5 Signature pairs between 1929 to 1939.

1929_tgoc_50r_front 19xx_tgoc_50r_back
1931_tgoc_50r_5-SecretMarks 19xx_tgoc_50r_watermark
5 Secret Marks adopted in 1934WaterMark
LK:SCWPM #026
The Notes are 165 by 114 mm i.e. 6½ by 4½ inches with 5¾-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London
Paper manufactured by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London.

Front : Brown on Green underprint with huge FIFTY at center Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of. In a 5 ¾-inch bar the value in words FIFTY RUPEES with Micro printing of same around. On either side, a numeric 50 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle. Just below the value රුපියල් පනහයි in Sinhala to left, and ஐம்பது ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. The Dark Brown 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 center bracketed with COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. in two lines to right.
Printer name small at upper edge of bottom margin. THOS.DE LA RUE & CO LTD LONDON. in tiny font at upper edge of bottom margin below left.
Back : At center a floral design in Green including the Crest of British Ceylon of an Elephant facing forward with 4 coconut palms on each side and mountains in background.
Water-mark : At center huge FIFTY RUPEES in 2 lines dark with light shadow to lower right. A vertical quadruple 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.

Date on BankNoteSignatures of
Commissioners of Currency		Range of Serial #Mintage
in K
1st July 1929 F.G. Tyrrell & W.W. Woods C/6 50001 50
9th July 1931 W.W. Woods & F.G. Tyrrell C/7 00001 50
Removed bar between the Letter and number of Serial prefix.
Full complement of 5 SecretMarks incorporated.
2nd July 1934 H.J. Huxham & W.E. Wait C 7 50001 50
18th June 1936 H.J. Huxham & M.M. Wedderbum C 8 00001 50
2nd October 1939 H.J. Huxham & G.S. Wodeman C 8 50001 50

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 73 dpi image is from a Spink Auction Listing and displayed at 50 dpi. The stamp SPECIMEN on top and bottom margins has been digitally erased.
I thank Thomas Hockenhull of British Museum for permission to image the 50r Proof with secret marks in Study Room on 2023 May 25th.
If you have this note, I would be grateful to get a 300 dpi scan which will be posted with desired acknowledgement.