The Government of Ceylon : 1894 - 1926
Uniface Fifty Rupee Note

The Uniface currency notes of Fifty 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 50 note has 5 known dates with 5 Signature pairs between 1909 to 1926. There must be unknown dates before 1909 to account for gap of 199K notes in Serial number sequence after 1885.

images/1909-11-01_tgoc_50r_C3-66714_f.jpg images/1926_tgoc_50r_wm.jpg&images/1894_tgoc_50r_wm.jpg&images/1909-11-01_tgoc_50r_C3-66714_b.jpg
LK:SCWPM #019Highlighted Watermark image. Click on image to see alternate images below it.
The Notes are 216 by 120 mm i.e. 8½ by 4¾ inches, with a 7-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., London
Handmade paper manufactured by Messrs Portals

Front : Black on Green under-print with huge FIFTY at center THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of. In a 7-inch bar the value in words FIFTY RUPEES with Micro printing of same around. On either side, a numeric 50 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle. Just below the value රුපියල් පනහයි in Sinhala to left, and ஐம்பது ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. The Dark Brown 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 FIFTY RUPEES in 2 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

E. Noel Walker
F. R. Saunders 		1st September 1894 C/1 91609C/1 91609
Unknown Signatures Unknown Dates C/2 ?????C/3 09000 '<117'

H. Clifford
Bernard Senior 		1st November 1909 C/3 09001 C/3 79000 70
Please Help refine knowledge on Dates and Prefix+Serial in Government of Ceylon bankNotes of 1885 and 1909. Thanks.

1926_tgoc_50r_front 1913_tgoc_50r_secretmarks
LK:SCWPM #0113 Secret Marks identified
Commencing from serial number C/3 79001 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 C/3 79001 50

Graeme Thomson
Bernard Senior 		8th December 1919 C/4 29001 100

E. B. Alexander
W. W. Woods 		1stDecember 1925 C/5 29001 21

A. G. M. Fletcher
W. W. Woods 		1st June 1926 C/5 50001 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.

The 1909 circulated digitally cleaned 166 dpi image and original image below it, are both from a Spink Auction Listings and displayed at 50 dpi.

If you have a Government of Ceylon 50r note, I would be grateful to get a 300 dpi scan which will be posted with desired acknowledgement.

I thank Eranda Adikaram for the Image and Watermark from his 1926 June 1st Rs50 BankNote C/6 11706 shown above.

The watermark image was Photoshoped from an image of a sheet of four Rs 50 watermark paper image posted in 2022 July Spink Auction 22177 Lot 109 which sold for £1240 including BP and VAT. The watermark for 1894 to 1926 as seen on Banknote is observed to be similar as this for 1887.
These Watermarks have been imaged with a bright light behind.