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2 Rupees
| Issuer | Government of Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Printed in shades of purple and mauve on a fine guilloche underprint, the obverse bears a left-side portrait vignette of King George VI in military uniform within an oval frame. To the right, a large watermark window is surrounded by intricate floral and scroll ornaments. The central text panel reads "THE GOVERNMENT OF Ceylon / PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF / TWO RUPEES" with the date "1ST FEBRUARY 1941" below, flanked by a decorative cobr motif. Two facsimile signatures of the Commissioners of Currency appear beneath, with the serial number and denomination inscribed in both Sinhala and Tamil scripts along the lower margin. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Ceylon's wartime currency arrangements were substantially disrupted after the fall of Singapore in February 1942, which cut off supply lines and forced emergency printing decisions across British colonial territories. This note predates that crisis — issued in 1941, when De La Rue's London operations were themselves under strain from Blitz-related disruptions to the works at Bunhill Row.
The Government of Ceylon, rather than the Ceylon Currency Board or a commercial bank, remained the direct issuing authority through this period, a legacy of the island's distinct constitutional relationship with Westminster.