The Government of Ceylon : 1899 - 1926
Uniface Thousand Rupee Note

The Uniface currency notes of One Thousand Rupees issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency of The Government of Ceylon, with the standard front format of Colonial currency, with 4 Serial Numbers. This Type of Rs 1000 note has 6 known dates with 5 Signature pairs between 1899 to 1926. There could be unknown dates before 1909

images/1899-08-01_1000r_D1-00000_sf.jpg images/1926_tgoc_1000r_wm.jpg
Click to see scetch of 1899 Note LK:SCWPM #011Highlighted WaterMark. Click to see 1926 WM image.
The Notes are 229 by 153 mm i.e. 9 by 6 inches with 8-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., London

Front : Black and Green on White paper with huge THOUSAND at center background. THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above. Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of. In a 8-inch bar the value in words ONE THOUSAND RUPEES with Micro printing of same around. On either side, a numeric 1000 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle. Just below the value රුපියල් දාහයි in Sinhala to left, and ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. The Black Serial number above and below on both left and right, with Colombo, date: day Month Year, centered below. In panel in two lines FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON with Micro printing of same around at bottom left. Two facsimile signatures at right and COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. in two lines on left.
Printer name THOS.DE LA RUE & CO LONDON. in tiny font at bottom left.
Back : Blank
Water-mark : At center Huge ONE THOUSAND RUPEES in 3 lines dark with light shadow to lower right. A vertical quadruple ZigZag lines dark with light between to right, and light Elephant and Dagaba Bubble shaped with Pinnacle and lightning conductor to the upper left with a light leafy liyavala below it. Centered below within decorative panel with light rectangular border THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON dark with light outline.

Commencing from serial number F/1 35001 of 1st April 1914 Secret Marks were introduced to Currency Notes.
Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #Mintage
in K

William Thomas Taylor
Illegible Signature* 		1st August 1899 F/l 00001 25

R. E. Stubbs
Bernard Senior 		20th January 1913 F/1 25001 10
Secret Marks were introduced
1st April 1914 F/l 35001 10
1st April 1915 F/l 45001 20
23rd March 1918 F/1 65001 25

A. G. M. Fletcher
W. W. Woods 		1st June 1926 F/l 90001 20

* The 1899 August 1st issue would have been signed by any 2 of 3 Commissioners of Currency
Edward Noel Walker Colonial Secretary 1887-11-10 - 1901
Lionel Frederick Lee Colonial Treasurer 1899-04-01 - 1899-12-04
Sir William Thomas Taylor Auditor General 1895-06-10 - 1901
or anyone acting on their behalf.
A crude color sketch of the 1899 August 1st Rs1000 note appeared on Heritage Auction lot 25415 on 2022 April 21 described as an Archival Group. It has signature of Sir William Thomas Taylor, and another that could not be recognized. A contrast enhansed image is posted above.

The notes were demonetized on 1945 November 15th with all other Rs1000 and Rs500 notes previously issued and ceased to be legal tender after 1946 January 31st. Only 12 pieces of Rs1000 notes remain unsurrended to issuing Authority from the total of 318,000 printed in 10 known dates from 1899-1944.

An issued Rs1000 is not unknown in any condition.

The details of this issue are from Sri Lanka Currency of Recent Times 1938-1985 T. M. U. Sallay, 1986 Colombo:Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The about 200 dpi photograph is of BankNote exhibited at CBSL Currency Museum and displayed at 50 dpi.

The watermark image was Photoshoped from an image of a sheet of a Rs1000 watermark paper posted in 2022 May in an eBay Auction by seller tiger9819. The watermark for 1899 to 1926 is assumed to be similar as this watermark paper.