Government of Ceylon
WWII 5 cent note
Patterns for June 1, 1942
June 1, 1942 emergency issue of subsidiary notes of the denomination
of cents five were issued to tide over shortage of coins.
Before this issue there was a 10 cents note design dated Januart 1,
1942 which had been corrected by hand to the Pattern, where a
unused 5 cent stamp needs to be pasted.
A Colour Trial with the two Stamps in Green have been considered but
not adopted.
The Notes are 86 by 57 mm i.e. 3 3/8 by 2 1/4 inches.
Printed by Ceylon Government Press.
Water-mark : None on Ordinary paper of unknown manufacture
Front : Large numeric Value 5c on all 4 corners.
Validation in 3 lines of English Text
The value of this note is five cents provided that
an unused revenue stamp of that denomination
is affixed below.
in 3 lines of Sinhala Text
පාවිච්චි නොකරපු සත පහේ ආදායම් මුද්දරයක් පහතින්
ඈලෙව්වොත් මෙ නොට්ටුවේ වටිනාකම
සත පහක් වන්නේය.
in 2 lines of Thamil Text
௨பயோகிக்கப்படாத அரசிலற வ௫மான ஐந்து சத முத்திரை கீழே ஒட்டப்-
பட்டால் இந்த நோட்டின் பெறுமதி ஐந்து சதமாகும்
Outline of a rectangle to paste single 5 cent stamp with
ශත පහ in Sinhala vertical on left, and
ஐந்து சதம் in Thamil
vertical on right.
Back : Centered English Text in 2 lines
Subject to the conditions set forth
at the back hereof.
Below on right 2 signatures H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins
with Text Commissioners of Currency below signatures.
Dated June 1, 1942 on lower left.
I thank my neighbour Mirzah for typing the old Thamil sentence on the
front, as my eyeball OCR of the blured Thamil Text I can't read, was
unsuccessful.
Observe that
- Name of country Ceylon is only on stamp pasted.
- Only 5c stamp available was the George V stamp of 1927.
- No 5 cent stamp of George VI was ever issued. A 5 cent Postcard was only issued in 1944.
- The absence of a 5 cent stamp was probably the reason this note concept was abandoned.
- 2c(red) and 3c(green) stamps of George VI were printed on postal wrappers and
the 3c on printed postcards and these were used on issued note.
- Does not have the validity statement
This note is legal tender for the payment of a sum not exceeding Five Rupees
- This Pattern is the only note design of British Era to have
validity printed in English, Sinhala and Thamil.
| Image of
Back of note
not yet obtained.
|
|
The Notes are 86 by 57 mm i.e. 3 3/8 by 2 1/4 inches.
Printed by Ceylon Government Press.
Water-mark : None on Ordinary paper of unknown manufacture
Front : Two Green Stamp-like images with King George VI facing
right at center. CEYLON on top of each stamp. Words TWO
CENTS with 2c just above on either side at bottom on left
side Stamp. Words THREE CENTS with 3c just above on
either side at bottom at bottom on right side Stamp. Total value
ශත පහ in Sinhala vertical on left, and
ஐந்து சதம் in Thamil
vertical on right of Stamps.
5c on the Four corners with THE GOVERNMENT OF
CEYLON centered on top Just below the words in 2 lines This
note is legal tender for the payment of a sum not exceeding Five
Rupees. Below 2 signatures H. J. Huxham &
C. H. Collins on right. Dated on left June 1, 1942 with
Text Commissioners of Currency on right below signatures.
Back : Blank except for Serial number stamped at top center.
Note American style date used only on these locally printed notes.
The front of note was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 50 dpi.
I thank Palinda de Silva for images of edited 10 cent Pattern and
Lankan dealer Sanoon for images of the 5 cent Pattern without Stamp,
from the collection of Mr T. M. U. Sallay.
The 2+3 cent Green Pattern is scanned from page 74 of the Book
From Purana to the Rupee published by the CBSL in 2013 for the
opening of the CBSL Economic History Museum. A Poor Specimen is on
display in Museum but not identified as a Pattern.
