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

LK:SCWPM #021

With a 4¾-inch Bar the Notes are 140 by 89 mm i.e. 5½ by 3½ inches and with ½ inch perforated counterfoil the booklets are 6 inches wide.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London
Paper manufactured by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.

Front : Huge outline of FIVE at center filled with horizontal microprint FIVE RUPEES, on Light Green with orange center Guilloche pattern on slightly larger Pink Guilloche pattern underprint. In Dark Brown THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of the value in words FIVE RUPEES in a 6-inch bar, with on either side, a numeric 5 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle filled with radial-in microprint GOVERNMENTOFCEYLON. Just below the value රුපියල් පහයි in Sinhala to left, and ஐந்து ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Colombo, date: day Month Year, centered below. Two facsimile signatures at center bracketed with COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. in two lines to right. The Red Serial number above and below on both left and right, the upper two on a pair of ellipses which are filled with Light Brown radial-out microprint FIVERUPEES. In panel in two lines FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON at bottom left.
Printer name 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 Armorial Crest of British Ceylon of an Elephant facing forward with 4 coconut palms on each side and mountains in background.
Watermark : At center a huge dark 5 with Light shadow to lower right with similar smaller CEYLON below. Light Elephant and Dagaba with Pinnacle above on either side, with shape of Dagaba bell shaped on left, bubble shaped on right. Note No lightning conductor on Dagaba.

Signatures of Commissioners of Currency		Date on BankNote	First Serial #	Mintage in K	Booklets
F. G. Tyrrell	W. W. Woods	1st July 1929	D/3 0000l	3000
			D/33 00001	500	25K
B. H. Bourdillon	W. W. Woods	10th September 1930	D/38 00001	1500
			D/53 00001	750	37.5K
			D/60 50001	50
W. W. Woods	F. G. Tyrrell	9th July 1931	D/61 00001	1000
			D/71 00001	500	20K
			D/76 00001	50
Removed bar between the Letter and number of Serial prefix
W. W. Woods	W. E. Wait	1st August 1932	D 76 50001	500
			D 81 50001	250	12.5K
			Full complement of 5 Secret Marks incorporated.
			D 84 00001	500
			D 89 00001	250
H. J. Huxham	W. E. Wait	2nd July 1934	D 91 50001	850
			E 1 00001	400
			E 5 00001	500	25K
			E 10 00001	50
C. H. Collins	G. S. Wodeman	26th June 1935	E 10 50001	1500
			E 25 50001	500	20K
			E 30 50001	50
H. J. Huxham	M. M. Wedderburn	18th June 1936	E 31 00001	1500
			E 46 00001	500	25K
			E 51 00001	50
C. H. Collins	R. M. M. Worsley	24th July 1937	E 51 50001	1500
			E 66 50001	500	25K
H. J. Huxham	G. S. Wodeman	10th November 1938	E 71 50001	1500
			E 86 50001	500	25K
			E 91 50001	500
		2nd October 1939	E 92 00001	800
			F 1 00001	700
			F 8 00001	500	25K

Booklets issued with 20 Notes each with single staple on left on ½ inch (13 mm) perforated counterfoil with baige soft board covers on front and back. Printed on front cover at center in Orange huge Rs. 5

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 note was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.
Note was photographed on light Table with a bright background and Transformed with Digitally to get watermark image.
I thank Thomas Hockenhull of British Museum for permission to image the 5r Proof with SecretMarks in Study Room on 2023 May 25th.