Government of Ceylon : 1941
George VI Pictorial - Re. 1.

King George VI Pictorial One Rupee currency note issued dated 1st February 1941 by the Board of Commissioners of Currency during WWII with legend Promise to Pay ...
1941_02_kgvi_r1_front 1941_02_kgvi_r1_back
LK:SCWPM #030
The Notes are 114 by 64 mm i.e. 4½ by 2½ inches and with a ¼ inch perforated counterfoil the booklets are 4¾ inches wide.
Printed by lithography process in India Government Security Press.
Water-mark: Ratnapura Raised Lion with whip on paper manufactured by Messrs Portals Ltd.

Front : Olive on Lilac and blue underprint. Portrait of King George VI on the left, a water-mark panel on the right, and the value in words ONE RUPEES in single lines in center and in figures 1 on the top two corners. GOVERNMENT of CEYLON in an arc above PROMISE TO PAY BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF in an arc and two lines. The date 1ST FEBRUARY 1941 appears above the two facsimile signatures H.J. Huxham & C.H. Collins with COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY below. The centered Serial number below. Lower the value රුපියලයි in Sinhala on left, and ஒரு ரூபாய் in Thamil on right.
Back : Olive on a Blue, Orange, Lilac tint underprint with Micro printing text THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON. Pictorial at center with caption ELEPHANT'S HEAD with a Mahoot riding, Coconut Palm behind and foliage in background. Centered on top THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON in an arc. The value in figures 1 slanted on the four corners. Lower the value රුපියලයි in Sinhala on left, and ஒரு ரூபாய் in Thamil on right.

Date on BankNoteSignatures of Commissioners of CurrencyFirst Serial #Mintage
in K		Booklets
1ST FEBRUARY 1941
H.J. Huxham
C.H. Collins 		A/1 000001 5000
A/6 000001 5000 200K
A/11 000001 132

1941_kgvi_1r_cover Booklets issued with 25 Notes each with single staple on left on 1/4 inch (6 mm) perforated counterfoil with baige soft board covers on front and back. Printed on front cover GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON underlined with 25 CURRENCY NOTES OF Re. 1. in 3 lines below.

The notes were demonetized with all notes dated before 1950 December 31st on 1955 August 26th and ceased to be legal tender with effect 1956 August 31st.

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.

On right is a scan of a photograph of a Elephants head taken by Lionel Wendt clearly same Elephant and mahoot, probabaly on same shoot to that used by Artist for the line drawing used on the Rs 1 KGVI pictorial note. According to Fred Medis, Lionel Wendt sued the Commissioners of Currency for using his photograph without permission. I need to find this reference and the photograph used. This image was published in 1950 book Lionel Wendt's Ceylon, p.71

The Unc Specimen note waa scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi. I thank Mr Tuan Sallay for it.