Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
2 Rupees
| Issuer | Government of Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941-1949 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| 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 | Red and green note with a portrait vignette of King George VI in military uniform at left, set against a fine guilloche underprint. The central field carries the legal tender inscription and denomination TWO RUPEES in an ornate panel, with the date 1ST MARCH 1947 below. Sinhalese and Tamil denomination inscriptions appear along the lower border, flanking the serial number and prefix, with the facsimile signatures of two Commissioners of Currency beneath the central panel. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT TWO RUPEES 1ST MARCH 1947 COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY රුපියල් දෙකයි இரண்டு ரூபாய் |
| 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 |
Ceylon's Government currency notes of this period bypassed the commercial banking system entirely — the Government of Ceylon, not the Ceylon Government Savings Bank or any colonial bank, held direct note-issuing authority throughout these years. The extended date range across this single pick number reflects a deliberately conservative approach to currency management during and after the Second World War, with the same De La Rue plate design kept in continuous service rather than commissioning a new issue.
The signature progression tells most of the story: five distinct pairings across eight years, tracking the transition from wartime colonial financial administration to early post-independence civil service, with Wijewardene's name appearing through both the colonial and post-1948 phases.