Government of Ceylon
Pictorial Essays - 1st October 1928
Multiple Pictorial Essays by Bradbury Wilkinson for Rs 5 and Rs 10
denominations with date 1st October 1928. The legality
statement has words Promise to Pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum
of and no signatures of Commisionors of Currency.
Scribbled on essay board are dates 1927-8-6, 1927-9-6, 1928-1-4. It
is interesting that they were proposing Pictorial currency in the late
1920's. It is a pity it took another 13 years before they were issued.
The Ceylon Banknotes were made smaller in 1929, but the design remained
unchanged from that which had been adopted in 1925, which just added a
back design to the standard colonial currency design used from 1885.
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Front Pictorial :
On left Woman with pot in hand facing right On left.
Small scene of Paddy Fields and trees on right.
Essayer's name centered at bottom margin in small script
BRADBURY WILKINSON & CO LD NEW MALDEN. SURREY, ENGLAND.
| Back Pictorial :
Two Tusker Elephants facing forward right in river with two mahouts.
Scrub Jungle behind and to right.
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| Front Pictorial :
On left Panel Boat with sail and three men with oars.
| Front Pictorial : Temple of the tooth in Kandy upper center
Traditional Cart drawn by two Bulls facing forward right with two men on lower left.
Two elephants facing foward left with two Mahouts on lower right.
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| Denomination | : 5 Rupees |
English | : Five Rupees |
| Sinhala | : රුපියල් පහයි |
Thamil | : ஐந்து ரூபாய் |
| Size | : 140 x 89 mm
| Spink Auction 16011 lots
804;
808 |
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Front Pictorial :
Temple of the tooth in Kandy in lower center. Two Guard stones on either side.
Essayer's name centered at bottom margin in small script
BRADBURY WILKINSON & CO LD NEW MALDEN. SURREY, ENGLAND.
| Back Pictorial :
In center panel Harbour scean with four large ships and few smalle tugs and coconut estate in foreground.
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| Front Pictorial :
On right facing left Bearded Chieften with crown like head gear, garlend and medals.
| Front Pictorial :
On right Panel Boat with sail and three men with oars.
|
| Denomination | : 10 Rupees |
English | : Ten Rupees |
| Sinhala | : රුපියල් දහයයි
| Thamil | : பத்து ரூபாய் |
| Size | : 152x 102 mm |
Spink Auction 16011 lots
805;
806 |
|
Front: THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON on top.
below which legality statement
PROMISES TOO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF
Below centered in middle in VALUE RUPEES in one line.
Below which value in Sinhala
රුපියල්
on left, and value in Thamil
ரூபாய்
on right.
Date COLOMBO 1ST OCTOBER 1928.
Below in one line FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON
with space for Signatures above COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY on center.
Numeric Values at all 4 corners.
Two Serial Numbers with prefix in red at lower left and upper right.
All within a rectangular decorated border and background.
Back: On left court of Arms of Ceylon i.e. Elephant with 4 coconut Trees on either side
Numeric Value Two times and value RUPEES in English one or two times.
Watermark : Elephant head with pendent trunk.
Although only one of the three front designs for each denomination,
has the printer's name all these essays are associated by the unique
watermark and the date.
If you have different images or dates of this Type or images of higher
resolution please contribute to kavanr @ gmail.com
The notes at xx,xx and xx dpi and displayed at
about 50 dpi if assuming height of 1929 notes.
Archival Photographs of Rs5 and Rs10 from 2016 January 13th,
Spink Hong Kong Auction
sold for about a grand Total of US$900+20%BP?.
The Gray-scale images of archival photographic proofs have been Sepia toned.