50 Rupees

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.