The Oriental Bank Corporation
1881-1884 - Colombo

Currency Notes in Rupees issued from 1881 to 1884 by The Oriental Bank Corporation in Colombo, with an engraving of Royal Crest and printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co, London.

Denomination: 5 Rupees
Shade Color: Red
Value Color: Pink
English : Five Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල්පහයි
Thamil ஐந்துரூபாய்
Size : 163 x 128 mm
Date : 1st January 1881
Status : Signed
images/obc/1881_obc_cmb_5r_160150326_f.jpg
Click to see image of signed note. Pick-lk S142
Denomination: 10 Rupees
Shade Color: Brown
Value Color: Orange
English : Ten Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල්දහයයි
Thamil பத்துரூபாய்
Size : 197 x 125 mm
Date : 1st December 1883
Status : Specimen
images/obc/1881_obc_cmb_10r_160150330_f.jpg
Click to see image of signed note. Pick-lk S142A
Denomination: 50 Rupees
Shade Color: Blue
Value Color: Brown
English : Fifty Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල්පනහයි
Thamil ஐம்பதுரூபாய்
Size : 200 x 128 mm
Date : 1st March 1884
Status : Specimen
Pick-lk Unlisted
Denomination: 100 Rupees
Shade Color: Green
Value Color: Pink
English : Hundred Rupees
Sinhala රුපියල්සියයයි
Thamil நூறுரூபாய்
Size : 197 x 126 mm
Date : 1st March 1884
Status : Specimen
Pick-lk Unlisted

Front : Decorative vertical panels on either side with Numeric value on top and bottom Guilloche with engraving in central ellipse. Repeated Microprinting of value as Numeric and in English. Panel on left has Crowned Empress Victoria seated on throne with a seven arced shell behind. A scroll in her left hand and chalis(?) in her right hand. Standing lion on either and Sailing boat on left, Coconut palm and building on right. A basket of fruit at her feet. The panel on right Bust of Mercury with caduceus. In centered Decorative horizontal panels COLOMBO on top and and CEYLON at bottom. Within panels on top Center, arced name THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION with legend INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER below. Crowned British Royal Coat of arms within oblate belt with legend HONO SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE supported by rampant lion crowned facing forward on left and unicorn chained with garter on right. Lion standing left on crown. Below DIEU ET MON DROIT in scroll.
On either side Denomination රුපියල් Denomination in Sinhala on left and Denomination ரூபாய் in Thamil on right, with Seriel No below. Within color shaded rectangle
Promise to pay the Bearer on demand at their Office here DENOMINATION RUPEES , Value received
Below COLOMBO with date as day month year. At center huge value in words RUPEES outlined in another Color, and taller than shaded region overlays it, Branch and date, as well as lower part of coart of arms. Below By Order of the Court of Directors
below on right ______ MANAGER
below which on left ENTD _____ ACCOUNTT.
At bottom centered just below horizontal decorate in small script
BRADBURY WILKINSON & Co ENGRAVERS &c, LONDON..
Back : On a elaborate decorate of full back of currency Notes the value in Rupees Numerically and in all three languages, English repeated many times in small and micro text and once prominently in Sinhala and Thamil. Two identical Medallic busts face each in middle. Detailed design of back of each denomination is different from each other in color and detail.
Denomination Rs 5 Rs 10 Rs 50 Rs 100
Color Vertical bandsBlue-Red-BlueRed-Blue-RedBrown-Green-BrownGreen-Brown-Green
Pair of Busts Lady with hatGent with helmetGent with winged capLady with hair bun
Sinhala Text Center Upper left middle left middle Center Upper Arc down
Thamil Text Center lower right middleright middle Center lower Arc^nbsp;up
Large Numeric value 8 7 6 5

Watermark : ORIENTAL BANK in downward arc above CORPORATION in line below darker than paper (need to confirm)
Printer : Bradbury Wilkinson & Co, London.
Size : Estimated assuming Frame is same as circulated Rs 5 note measured from the Colombo National Museum Collection, and assuming size was adopted in inches. On other denominations the design Frame was assumed to be of same height.

The Rs 5 note is 14% less wide, and the vertical panel on left has been made narrower. Only part of the engraving of Mercury is shown.

Text and Images from Spink Auction listings Rs 5 and Rs 10. Rs 50 and Rs 100.
Images estimated to be 75(Rs5), 100(Rs10) 137(Rs50) and 138(Rs100) dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.

Known Denomination, Date and Serial Numbers

1881-1884 Colombo -     Rs   5  1881-01-01                   C200319 C223545(KNM) C244693 C256949
                        Rs   5  1883-01-01   C280001-C300000
                        Rs  10  1881-01-01                   C212617 C220759(KNM) C268768(BMC)
                        Rs  10  1883-01-01   C250001-C270000
                        Rs  10  1883-12-01   C270001-C280000 
                        Rs  50  1884-03-01   C19001-C23000
                        Rs 100  1884-03-01   C15001-C17000
If you know of a Rs 5 Rs 10, Rs50 or Rs100 note issued by Oriental Bank Corporation in Colombo with date between 1881 and 1884 unrecorded above, Please contact kavan @ gmail.com with an image. Thank You