The Government of Ceylon : 1929 - 1939
Small Elephant Logo backed Ten Rupees Note

The Small Ten Rupees currency note with Elephant logo at back 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 used since 1894. This Type of Rs 10 note has 10 dates with 9 Signature pairs between 1929 to 1939.

1938_tgo_r10_front 19xx_tgoc_r10_back
19xx_tgoc_10r_5-Secret-Marks 19xx_tgoc_10r_watermark
LK:SCWPM #025
The Notes are 152 by 102 mm i.e. 6 by 4 inches, with a 4¾-inch Bar.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London
Paper manufactured by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.

Front : Huge Pink outline of TENat center filled with horizontal microprint TEN RUPEES, on Light Brown with orange center Guilloche pattern on larger Light Green Guilloche pattern underprint. In Dark Brown THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON centered on top above Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of the value in words TEN RUPEES in a 6-inch bar, with on either side, a numeric 10 with RUPEES in an arc below, within a circle filled with radial microprint GOVERNMENTOFCEYLON. Just below the value රුපියල් දහයයි in Sinhala to left, and பத்து ரூபாய் in Thamil on right. Colombo, date: day Month Year, centered below. Two facsimile signatures at center bracketed with COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY. in two lines to right. The Dark Blue Serial number above and below on both left and right, the upper two on a pair of ellipses which are filled with Light Brown radial-out microprint TENRUPEES. In panel in two lines FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON at bottom left.
Printer name THOS.DE LA RUE & CO LTD LONDON. in tiny font at upper edge of bottom margin below left.
Back : At center a floral design in Dark Brown including the Armorial Crest of British Ceylon of an Elephant facing forward with 4 coconut palms on each side and mountains in background.
Watermark : At center a huge dark 10 with Light shadow to lower right with similar smaller CEYLON below. Light Elephant and Dagaba with Pinnacle above on either side, with Dagaba bell shaped on left, bubble shaped on right. Note No lightning conductor on Dagaba.

Signatures of Commissioners of CurrencyDate on BankNoteFirst Serial #Mintage
in K

F. G. Tyrrell
W. W. Woods 		1st July 1929 C/57 50001 2000

B. H. Bourdillon
W. W. Woods 		10th September 1930 C/77 50001 750

W. W. Woods
F. G. Tyrrell 		9th July 1931 C/85 00001 500
Removed bar between the Letter and number of Serial prefix

W. W. Woods
W. E. Wait 		1st August 1932 C/90 00001 500
Full complement of 5
Secret Marks incorporated
C/95 00001 500

H. J. Huxham
W. E. Wait 		2nd July 1934 D/1 00001 1000

C. H. Collins
G. S. Wodeman 		26th June 1935 D/11 00001 1000

H. J. Huxham
M. M. Wedderburn 		18th June 1936 D/21 00001 1000

C. H. Collins
R. M. M. Worsley 		24th July 1937 D/31 00001 1000

H. J. Huxham
G. S. Wodeman 		10th November 1938 D/41 00001 1000
2nd October 1939 D/51 00001 1025
D/61 25001 100LDEA
D/62 25001 375
D/66 00001 525LDEA
D/71 25001 >614

LDEA - Notes invalidated by Ordinence No 10 of 1942 dated 23rd March 1942. These notes were lost, damaged or destroyed as a result of enemy action.
This loss of notes date 1939 October probabaly happened sometime in 1940, as new design notes were issued in 1941 February. As the invalidation is dated 1942 23rd March the loss clearly happend before the single Japanese raid of Colombo, Ceylon on 1942 April 5th.

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. Sallay does not list the last line of issues beyond D/71. However the 1939 Rs10 banknote in lakdiva collection shown above is D/76 which indicates an error. I thank Jakson Selliah who pointed this error in Sallay by sending an image of Note with Serial Number D/77 39004. This imples that at least 614K notes were issued. They may just represent replacement of the 625K banknotes lost by enemy action. Please let me know if you have a higher Serial number Rs10 note of 1939.

The XF note was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.
Note was photographed on light Table with a bright background and Transformed Digitally to get watermark image.

I thank Eranda Adikaram for the Watermark image from his 1929 July 1st Rs10 BankNote C/73 58639 shown above.
I thank Thomas Hockenhull of British Museum for permission to image the 10r Proof with secret marks in Study Room on 2023 May 25th.