Essay for Central Bank of Ceylon
with date 1976-08-27

A Banknote design Essay series with date 1976-08-27 which was not adopted by the Central Bank of Ceylon for issue of Currency Notes. No Currency Notes were issued with this date.

Appears to be a Proposed series of Flora and Fauna notes designed before issue the 1979 Flora and Fauna series, which included the Rs20 note for the first time.
Denomination: 5 Rupees Base Color: Red
Under-print: Pink, Blue & Yellow English : Five Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල් පහයි Thamil ஐந்து ரூபாய்
Size :  127x 67 mm Spink Auction 13034 lot 217
Front Pictorial : Cattleya Orchids on right
Back Pictorial  : Kingfisher bird facing forward right, on bottom border left of center.
Denomination: 10 Rupees Base Color: Green
Under-print: Pink Purple & Yellow English : Ten Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල් දහයයි Thamil பத்து ரூபாய்
Size :  127x 67 mm Spink Auction 13034 lot 218
Front Pictorial :  Honeysuckle Flowers to left
Back Pictorial  :  Spotted Deer seated to left with head pointing forward right on bottom border left of center.
Denomination: 20 Rupees Base Color: Blue
Under-print: Pink & Yellow English : Twenty Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල් විස්සයි Thamil இருபது ரூபாய்
Size : 137 x 70 mm Spink Auction 13034 lot 219
Front Pictorial :  Daisy flowers on right
Back Pictorial :  Leopard seated to left with head pointing forward left on bottom border left of center.
Denomination: 100 Rupees Base Color: Green
Under-print: Pink & Blue English : One Hundred Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල් සියයයි Thamil நூறு ரூபாய்
Size : 156 x 76 mm Spink Auction 13034 lot 220
Front Pictorial : Lily flowers on right.
Back Pictorial :  Elephant seated to left with head pointing forward left, on bottom border left of center.

Front: Front Pictorial of Flowers of Sri Lanka.
At top ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala, with இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON below in English above ශ්‍රී ලංකාණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කරන ලද මේ මුදල් නෝට්ටුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඇතුළත ඕනෑම මුදල් ගණනක් ගෙවිම සඳහා නිතියෙන් වලංගුය in three lines. The Numeric date 1976-08-27 with leading zero below two dummy Facsimile English Signature signatures above මුදල් ඈමති, on and signature of Herbert Tennekoon in Sinhala above මහ බැංකුවේ අධිපති below. Value in Sinhala රුපියල් Thamil ரூபாய் and English RUPEES One Serial No., two on the Rs100.
Back: Back Pictorial of Birds and Animals of Sri Lanka.
On top ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala, இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and CENTRAL BANK OF CEYLON in English below. Value in Sinhala රුපියල් Thamil ரூபாய் and English RUPEES No printers name at bottom margin in small script
Most Probably Thomas Se La Rue as the legality statement on the lower denomination does not have the added ශ්‍රී in country name like in their proposed 1978-2-4 notes which have their name printed on it. De La Rue had not printed notes for CBC after Republican constitution when it was added.

Crude Sinhala text hardly legible on Rs5.

The Rs2 and Rs50 of this Series were not listed in either Spink Auctions 13034 or 18050 and may have sold on private sale.

The notes at 230, 216, 213, and 175 dpi are displayed at about 50 dpi if assuming height of 1979 notes.
If you have images any of missing Rs2 and Rs50 essays or images of higher resolution please contribute to kavanr @ gmail.com

From 2013 December 5th, Spink Auction lots 217-220 sold for a grand total of £11900+44%BP+V.
Listed again 2018 October 3rd Spink Auction in PCGS Currency holders, as part of Ibrahim Salem collection of World banknotes lots 115-118 with total estimate £6600-£8300 and remained unsold.