Catalog
50 Rupees
| Issuer | Oriental Bank Corporation, Galle |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Horizontal format note with an ornate guilloche border enclosing the entire face. At upper centre, the Royal Charter coat of arms vignette flanked by the numeral "50" on both left and right, with Sinhalese and Tamil script inscriptions above each numeral. The issuer's name "THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION" is printed in bold letterpress across the centre, below which a promise-to-pay text reads payable at their Branch in Galle or at their Bank in Colombo for "FIFTY RUPEES" or the equivalent in the currency of Ceylon, dated "GALLE, CEYLON 15th June 1866". The lower margin carries manuscript entry fields for "Entd.", "Account" and "Agent", with the word "SPECIMEN" printed at lower right. |
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| Obverse lettering | රියල්පනහයි சம்பதுரூபாய் Incorporated by Royal Charter. GALLE, CEYLON 15th June 1866 THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION Promise to pay the Bearer on demand at their Branch here or at their Bank in Colombo FIFTY RUPEES, or the equivalent in the Currency of this Island. Value received. By order of the Court of Directors. Entd. Account SPECIMEN Agent. |
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| Comments |
The Oriental Bank Corporation was a British overseas bank chartered in London, with its Eastern operations centered on the trade routes running through Ceylon, India, and the Straits Settlements. The Galle branch operated at a time when that port still dominated Ceylon's export trade — Colombo would not fully eclipse it until the late nineteenth century. Private banknote issue by foreign-chartered commercial banks in Ceylon was already becoming restricted by this period, making this a late example from a closing window.
The Oriental Bank Corporation collapsed in 1884, its failure triggered by the collapse of coffee prices after the leaf rust blight devastated Ceylon's plantations. Notes not redeemed before liquidation became worthless.