Catalog
10 Rupees
| Issuer | Oriental Bank Corporation, Jaffna |
|---|---|
| Year | 1864 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Indian rupee (1862-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Horizontally arranged note with two oval guilloche panels at left and right each bearing the denomination '10 RUPEES' in letterpress. A central intaglio vignette presents the Royal Arms of Great Britain flanked by a lion and unicorn beneath a crown, with the legend 'INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER' above the coat of arms. The issuer's name 'THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION' is set in bold letterpress below the vignette, with a manuscript promise-to-pay text reading 'Promise to pay the Bearer on demand at their Branch here or at their Bank in Colombo TEN RUPEES or the equivalent in the Currency of this Island, value received', beneath which appears 'By order of the Court of Directors.', the place and date 'JAFFNA, CEYLON 15th Feby 1864', and ruled lines for entry, account, and agent signature. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | TEN RUPEES INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER JAFFNA, CEYLON 15th Feby 1864 THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promise to pay the Bearer on demand at their Branch here or at their Bank in Colombo TEN RUPEES or the equivalent in the Currency of this Island, value received. By order of the Court of Directors. Ent'd Account! Agent. |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Oriental Bank Corporation was a British overseas bank chartered in 1851, operating extensively across India, Ceylon, and the Far East before its collapse in 1884 — one of the more spectacular bank failures of the Victorian era. Jaffna was a secondary issuing branch, and notes denominated from that office rather than Colombo are considerably scarcer, reflecting the smaller commercial volume of the northern Ceylon market.
The 1884 failure rendered all outstanding OBC notes worthless overnight, with no redemption scheme. Surviving circulated examples from branch offices like Jaffna were simply abandoned.