The Chartered Mercantile Bank
of India, London & China
Ceylon Branch - 1864-1869 - Kandy

Denomination : 10 Shillings Note Color : Brown Overprint Color : Green English : Ten Sinhala : රුපියල් පහයි : පවුඬ් බාගයයි Thamil : ரூபாய் ஐந்து : அரைப் பவுண்ட் Size : 215 x 120 mm Date : ___ 18__ < 1870 Status : Specimen
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Denomination : 1 Pound Note Color : Blue Overprint Color : Red English : One Sinhala : රුපියල් දහයයි : පවඬ් එකයි Thamil : ரூபாய் பத்து : ஒரு பவுண்ட் Size : 215 x 116 mm Date : ___ 18__ < 1870 Status : Specimen
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Denomination : 5 Pounds Note Color : Green Overprint Color : Red English : Five Sinhala : රුපියල් පකහයි : පවඬ් පහයි Thamil : ரூபாய் ஐம்பது : அரைப் பவுண்ட் Size : 215 x 117 mm Date : ___ 18__ < 1870 Status : Specimen
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Front : On a decorated rectangular wide border centered on top CEYLON BRANCH. on bottom, පවඬ් Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination பவுண்ட் in Thamil on right.
Within border on top Center, below arced legend INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER crowned British Royal Coat of arms within belt with legend HONO SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE supported by lion on left and unicorn on right. Lion standing left on crown. Below in scroll DIEU ET MON DROIT
On either side numeric Denomination in decorate, with රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala above on left and ரூபாய் Denomination in Thamil on Right. Below centered N^o ##### KANDY ____ 18__ N^o ##### .
Within shaded rectangle THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promises to pay bearer on demand at its Branch in KANDY in the Currency of the Island DENOMINATION POUNDS value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line Ent^d _____ ACCOUNT^t ______ MANAGER
In small text within border in lower left corner PERKINS BACON & C^o, LONDON
The value in words DENOMINATION on five interlocking circles Overprint in color.
Back : Ornate Spirographic design with Numeric Value within on either side. Below in small print Perkins Bacon & C^o,London
WaterMark : None Seen on Specimens in HSBC Archive
Printed : Perkins Bacon & C^o London.

The 10 Shilling denomination has a slightly different design to the others. 1) In front on upper left and right, instead of the Numeric or Text Denomination in decorate, there is TEN SHILLINGS within decorate. 2) At back has small Spirographic designs repeated at four corners and TEN SHILLINGS within large decorate at center. The printers name below in small text centered is Perkins Bacon & C^o, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate

The Sinhala script has been written obscenely for Rupees Fifty රුපියල් පනහයි (as sic පකහයි) as in the Colombo note. These Errors in Sinhala Text corrected after monetary reform in 1869, when it commenced note issue in Rupees. Note also however that The Asiatic Banking Corporation notes and The Oriental Bank Corporation notes of the 1860's had the Sinhala and Thamil Text written correctly.

Note also Thamil  பவுண்ட் denomination in 5£ note அஞ்த rather than ஐந்து

I thank Claire Twinn, Global Functions Archives Manager, HSBC Holdings PLC, London for sending me in 2020 February, the images of the Specimen 10 Shilling, £1, and £5 notes from the HSBC Collection. Reproduced with the permission of HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC Archives) Reduced image to 200 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.