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2 Rupees
| Issuer | Government of Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917-1921 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Rupees |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Black letterpress on green guilloche underprint. The title cartouche 'THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON' is set within an ornate engine-turned frame at the top, flanked by four oval serial number panels at the corners. The denomination 'TWO RUPEES' is printed in bold letterpress across the centre, with the numeral '2' in hexagonal medallions at left and right; a large green tonal 'TWO' underprint appears in the central field. Inscriptions in Sinhala and Tamil appear below the denomination, with the place and date line, two manuscript signatures, and the imprint 'THOS. DE LA RUE & CO. LTD. LONDON.' at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Graeme Thomson and Bernard Senior |
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| Comments |
Ceylon's Government currency notes of this period displaced the private bank notes that had circulated before the First World War, with the colonial administration assuming direct issue authority under the Currency Ordinance of 1884 — though large-denomination government notes only became genuinely practical once public confidence in paper improved during the war years. The 2 Rupee denomination was deliberately kept as a government obligation rather than a central bank liability, a distinction that mattered legally even if it was invisible in daily commerce.
Graeme Thomson served as Ceylon's Colonial Secretary before becoming Governor in 1931. Bernard Senior held the Auditor-General's position. De La Rue's London facility handled the full print run across the four-year issue window.