The Chartered Mercantile Bank
of India, London & China
Ceylon Branch - 1870-1884 - Colombo

Pursuant to monetary reform in 1869 Currency Notes of The Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China, Ceylon Branch in Colombo were issued in Rupees from 1870, with the same engraving of Royal Crest. The bank lost it's charter to issue Currency in 1888.

Denomination: 5 Rupees
Note Color: Brown
Overprint Color: Green
English : Five
Sinhala : රුපියල් පහයි
Thamil : ஐந்து ரூபாய்
Size : 181 x 114 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1877
Status : Canceled
images/1877_cmbi_cmb_05r_11021-1434_cf.jpg&images/1870_cmbi_cmb_05r_11021-1432_pr.jpg
Click to see signed and Proof on Card without FIVE Overprint. Pick-lk S121
Denomination: 10 Rupees
Note Color: Blue
Overprint Color: Red
English : Ten
Sinhala : රුපියල් දහයයි
Thamil : பத்து ரூபாய்
Size : 175 x 113 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1870
Status : Specimen
images/1870_cmbi_cmb_10r_11523-533_pf.jpg
Click to see Proof on Card without TEN Overprint. Pick-lk S122
Denomination: 50 Rupees
Note Color: Green
Overprint Color: Red
English : Fifty
Sinhala : රුපියල් පනහයි
Thamil : ஐம்பது ரூபாய்
Size : 181 x 115 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1870
Status : Specimen
images/1870_cmbi_cmb_50r_11021-1436_pf.jpg
Click to see Proof on Card without FIFTY Overprint. Pick-lk S123
Denomination: 100 Rupees
Note Color: Black
Overprint Color: Green
English : One Hundred
Sinhala : රුපියල් සියයයි
Thamil : நூறு ரூபாய்
Size : 199 x 115 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1870
Status : Specimen
images/1870_cmbi_cmb_100r_11021-1437_pf.jpg
Click to see Proof on Card without ONE HUNDRED Overprint. Pick-lk S124
Denomination: 500 Rupees
Note Color: Black
Overprint Color: Dark Blue
English : Five Hundred
Sinhala : රුපියල් පන්සියයයි
Thamil : ஐந்நூறு ரூபாய்
Size : 199 x 116 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1870
Status : Specimen
images/1870_cmbi_cmb_500r_11021-1438_pr.jpg
Click to see Proof on Card without FIVE HUNDRED Overprint. Pick-lk Unlisted
Denomination: 1000 Rupees
Note Color: Black
Overprint Color: Green
English : One Thousand
Sinhala : රුපියල් දාහයි
Thamil : ஆயிரம் ரூபாய்
Size : 180 x 114 mm
Date : 1 Jan 1870
Status : Proof Specimen
images/1870_cmbi_cmb_1000r_11021-1439_pf.jpg
Click to see Proof on Card without ONE THOUSAND Overprint. Pick-lk Unlisted

Front : On a decorated rectangular wide border centered on top CEYLON BRANCH. on bottom, රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination ரூபாய் 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 and RUPEES below, with රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala above on left and Denomination ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Below centered No ##### COLOMBO 1st JanY 1870 No ##### .
Within shaded rectangle THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promise to pay bearer on demand here DENOMINATION RUPEES value received
Below By Order of the Court of Directors above in one line Entd _____ ACCOUNTt ______ MANAGER
In small text within border in lower left corner PERKINS BACON & Co, LONDON
The value in words DENOMINATION on five interlocking circle/ellipses background Overprinted in color.
Back : Ornate Spirographic design with Numeric Value within on either side.
Watermark : None seen on Specimens at HSBC Archive
However CHARTERED MERCANTILE in downward arc above OF INDIA LONDON & CHINA in upward arc below lighter than paper and BANK in center
is seen only on Rs 50 and higher Denominations of Kandy and Galle.
Printed : Perkins Bacon & Co London.
Size : Estimated assuming Frame is same as circulated note measurered from the Colombo National Museum Collection, and asuming size was adopted in inches is same for every denomination.

The Rs 5 denomination has a slightly different design to the others. 1) In front on upper left and right, instead of the Numeric Denomination in decorate and RUPEES below, there is FIVE RUPEES within decorate. 2) Back has small Spirographic designs repeated with Numeric 5 within, at four corners and FIVE RUPEES within large decorate at center. The printers name below in small text centered is Perkins Bacon & Co, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers 

1870-1884 Colombo - Rs    5  1870-01-01   21917 HSBC5197
                    Rs    5  1870-01-01   ????? HSBC5199
                    Rs    5  1870-01-01   ????? HSBC5200
                    Rs    5  1877-01-01   82090 SCWPM
                    Rs    5  1880-07-01   98529 (BMC) CIB.15750
                    Rs   10  1870-01-01
                    Rs   10  1870-01-01   ????? HSBC5203
                    Rs   10  1870-07-01   Proof
                    Rs   50  1870-01-01
                    Rs  100  1870-01-01
                    Rs  500  1870-01-01
                    Rs 1000  1870-01-01
If you know of a Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 500 or Rs 1000 note issued by Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China - Ceylon Branch in Colombo with printed date unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You

I thank Claire Twinn, Global Functions Archives Manager, HSBC Holdings PLC, London for sending me in 2020 February, the images of the Specimen Rs5, Rs10, Rs50, Rs100, Rs500 and Rs1000 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.

Other Proof images from Auction listings from the 2011 Spink Auction of 19th Century Ceylon Notes. It listed Uniface Specimen Proofs on card of Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China, Ceylon Branch, Colombo Rupees 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000.

Full color but low resolution images from Auction Listing.