Catalog
5 Rupees
| Issuer | Oriental Bank Corporation, Colombo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The note is printed in blue-green ink on cream paper, with a central vignette of the Royal Arms flanked by a lion and a unicorn, surmounted by a crown, set within a guilloche border. Two oval cartouches at left and right each carry the denomination FIVE RUPEES in English, with Sinhala and Tamil inscriptions above. The text INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER arcs across the upper centre, while the issuer name THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION appears in large letterpress across the middle, below the handwritten date COLOMBO, CEYLON 15th March 1866, and the promise text concludes with By order of the Court of Directors. |
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| Obverse lettering | INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER FIVE RUPEES COLOMBO, CEYLON 15th March 1866 THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promise to pay to Bearer on demand at their office here FIVE RUPEES or the equivalent in the Currency of the Island, Value received. By order of the Court of Directors. Accountant Manager |
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| Comments |
The Oriental Bank Corporation was a British overseas bank chartered in 1851, operating across India, Ceylon, China, and the Straits Settlements before its spectacular collapse in 1884. This note predates that failure by nearly two decades, issued from the Colombo branch during the height of the bank's regional influence. When the OBC did fail, noteholders were left as unsecured creditors — recovery was partial at best, and the collapse triggered tightening of colonial banking regulations across the region.
Local printing in Colombo rather than London is unusual for private colonial bank issues of this period, and raises questions about the security features available to the press used.