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

Denomination : 5 Rupees Note Color : Brown Overprint Color : Green English : Five Sinhala : රුපියල් පහයි Thamil : ஐந்து ரூபாய் Size : 178 x 112 mm Date : 1 July 1880 Status : Signed
	Click to see B&W Proof without Five Overprint.
Pick-lk S128
Denomination : 10 Rupees Note Color : Blue Overprint Color : Red English : Ten Sinhala : රුපියල් දහයයි Thamil : பத்து ரூபாய் Size : 178 x 112 mm Date : 1 July 1880 Status : Canceled
Photoshoped. Click to see Original & Proof without TEN Overprint. Pick-lk Unlisted
Denomination : 100 Rupees Note Color : Black Overprint Color : Green English : One Hundred Sinhala : රුපියල් සියයයි Thamil : நூறு ரூபாய் Size : 186 x 115 mm Date : 1 July 1880 Status : Canceled
Photoshopped. Click to see Original & Proof without ONE HUNDRED 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 N^o ##### GALLE 1^st JanY 1870 N^o ##### .
Within shaded rectangle THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promise to pay bearer on demand here or at COLOMBO DENOMINATION RUPEES 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 circle/ellipses background Overprinted in color.
Back : Ornate Spirographic design with Numeric Value within on either side. In small text below PERKINS BACON & C^o, LONDON
Watermark : CHARTERED MERCANTILE in downward arc above OF INDIA LONDON & CHINA in upward arc below lighter than paper and BANK in center
seen only on higher Denomination Rs100 of HSBC Specimens. Rs 10 poor so I can't tell.
Printed : Perkins Bacon & C^o 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) At back Spirographic design at four corners and FIVE RUPEES within large decorate at center. The printers name below in small text centered is Perkins Bacon & C^o, London. Patent Hardened Steel Plate

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers

1880-1884 Galle - Rs    5  1880-07-01   13030
                  Rs   10  1880-07-01    1646 HSBC5210      
                  Rs  100  1880-07-01    0062 HSBC5211

I thank Claire Twinn, Global Functions Archives Manager, HSBC Holdings PLC, London for sending me in 2020 February, the images of the Specimen Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 100 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.

Text and other images from Spink Auction listings 5, 10 and 100