The Government of Ceylon : 1894 - 1926
Uniface Hundred Rupees Note

The Uniface currency notes of One Hundred 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 100 note, has 6 known dates with 5 Signature pairs between 1909 to 1926. There must be unknown dates before 1909 to account for gap of 124.5K notes in Serial number sequence after 1885.

images/1926_tgoc_100r_wm.jpg&images/1926-06-01_tgoc_100r_D4-49116_b.jpg
LK:SCWPM #019Highlighted Watermark image
The Notes are 216 by 146 mm i.e. 8½ by 5¾ inches with 7½-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London
on Handmade paper manufactured by Messrs Portals.

Front : Black on Green on White paper with huge HUNDRED at center background. THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above. Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of. In a 7½-inch bar the value in words ONE HUNDRED RUPEES with Micro printing of same around. On either side, a numeric 100 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle. Just below the value රුපියල් සියයයි in Sinhala to left, and நூறு ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. The Purple 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. below.
Printer name THOS.DE LA RUE & CO LONDON. in tiny font at bottom left.
Back : Blank
Water-mark : At center huge ONE HUNDRED 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.

Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #
known		Last Serial #
known		Mintage
in K
Unknown Signatures Unknown Dates D/1 05001 D/2 29500124.5

H. Clifford
Bernard Senior 		1st November 1909 D/2 29501 D/2 54500 25
Please Help refine knowledge on Dates and Prefix+Serial in Government of Ceylon bankNotes of 1885 and 1909. Thanks.

1926_tgoc_100r_front images/1913_tgoc_100r_sm_pf.jpg
LK:SCWPM #0195 (click image for 3)Secret Marks identified
Commencing from serial number D/2 54501 of 1st April 1914 Secret Marks were introduced to Currency Notes.
Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #Mintage
in K

R. E. Stubbs
Bernard Senior 		1st April 1914 D/2 54501 25
1st April 1915 D/2 79501 20

Graeme Thomson
Bernard Senior 		8th December 1919 D/2 99501 50

E. B. Alexander
W. W. Woods 		1stDecember 1925 D/3 49501 14

A. G. M. Fletcher
W. W. Woods 		1st June 1926 D/3 63501 100

The notes were demonetized with all notes dated before January 1, 1940 on 1946 April 13th and ceased to be legal tender with effect July 31, 1946.

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. I thank the owner of a Private Collection for the 1926 proof image with 5 secret marks identified.

The 60 dpi image is from a Spink Auction Listing and displayed at 50 dpi.
If you have this note, I would be grateful to get a 300 dpi scan and photograph of blank back illuminated from behind to highlight watermark. They will be posted with desired acknowledgement.

I thank Eranda Adikaram for the Watermark image from his 1926 June 1st Rs100 BankNote D/4 49166 shown above.

The watermark image was Photoshoped from an image of a sheet of four Rs 100 watermark paper image posted in 2022 July Spink Auction 22174 Lot 1227 which sold for £1116 including BP and VAT. The watermark for 1899 to 1926 is assumed to be similar as this watermark paper penciled 1898