Government of Ceylon
Pictorial Essays - 1st January 1928
Multiple Pictorial Essays by Thomas De La Rue for Rs 5 and Rs 10
denominations with date 1st January 1928. The legality
statement has words Promise to Pay and the signatures are of
E. B. Alexander and W. W. Woods who signed notes dated 1st December 1925.
These pictorial essays were probably done in the late 1920's and it is
interesting that they were proposing Pictorial currency in that era.
It is a pity it took another 13 years before they were issued. The
Ceylon Banknotes were made smaller in 1929, but the design remained
unchanged from that which had been adopted in 1925, which just added a
back design to the standard colonial currency design used from 1885.
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| Pictorial :
On left Two Fishermen with oars in a Boat with net. Island in background on right.
| Pictorial :
Tusker Elephant facing forward left in Jungle scratching back on tree in center
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| Pictorial :
On left Fishermen in catamaran near coast with Coconut palms. Mountain in background on right.
| Pictorial :
On left Seven Fishermen with oars in a Boat near coast with
Coconut palms. Siripada Mountain in background in center.
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| Denomination | : 5 Rupees |
| English | : Five Rupees |
| Sinhala | : රුපියල් පහයි |
| Thamil | : ஐந்து ரூபாய் |
| Size | : 140 x 89 mm |
| Spink Auctions |
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| Back Pictorial :
SiriPada mountain with Jungle in the foreground. Ornamental seven-hooded cobra on either side.
Watermark panel on the left and large denomination 5 within a cartouche on the right.
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| Pictorial :
On left Sigiriya Rock with tank around it. Scrub jungle and few Coconut Palms.
Mountain in background on right.
| Pictorial :
Scrub jungle with two Palms in foreground left. Lake and Mountains in background.
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| Pictorial :
On left Elephant facing forward right Few Coconut Palms in foreground. Siripada Mountains in background.
| Pictorial :
On left Traditional Cart pulled by two Bulls facing forward right. Few Coconut Palms in foreground.
Lake and Mountains in background.
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| Denomination | : 10 Rupees |
| English | : Ten Rupees |
| Sinhala | : රුපියල් දහයයි |
| Thamil | : பத்து ரூபாய் |
| Size | : 152x 102 mm |
| Spink Auctions |
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| Back Pictorial :
Coastal Shoreline with two catamarans on sand near few huts with coconut estate and more huts in background
within Ornamental frame.
Watermark panel on the left and large denomination 10 within a cartouche on the right.
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Front: THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON on top.
below which legality statement
PROMISES TOO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF
Below centered in middle in VALUE RUPEES in one line.
Below which value in Sinhala
රුපියල්
on left, and value in Thamil
ரூபாய்
on right.
Date COLOMBO 1ST JANUARY 1928.
In one lines each FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON on left
with 2 dummy Signatures center before
COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY on right bottom.
Numeric Values at all 4 corners.
Two Serial Numbers with prefix in red at lower left and upper right.
All within a rectangular decorated border and background.
Printer's name
THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON
centered at bottom margin in small script.
Back: Floral design with inset Pictorial image
and Huge Numeric Value.
Printer's name
THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON
centered at bottom margin in small script.
The notes at xx,xx and xx dpi and displayed at
about 50 dpi if assuming height of 1929 notes.
If you have different images or dates of this Type or images of higher
resolution please contribute to kavanr @ gmail.com
I thank Godfrey Perera for print out with the back of the Rs 5 essay
which was not posted in the Spink Auctions.