1 Rupee Banknote (Government Of Ceylon King George Vi)

1 Rupee Rupee (Issued 1941)

Ceylon in 1941 was a crown colony of the British Empire, and its currency carried both the authority of the imperial crown and the imagery of the island’s own natural and working life. The Government of Ceylon issued this one rupee note at a moment of profound global tension, when the Second World War was reshaping the British Empire and Ceylon’s strategic importance as a naval and military base was rapidly growing. The promise-to-pay tradition inherited from British banking practice gave this note its formal legal character, while its bilingual inscriptions acknowledged the Tamil and Sinhalese-speaking populations of the island. Together, the royal portrait and the local working elephant scene captured the dual identity of colonial Ceylon — imperial in governance yet distinctly rooted in its own landscape and labour.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved oval portrait of King George VI, positioned to the left of centre against a crosshatched background that gives the image considerable depth and shadow. The King is depicted in military dress uniform, with decorations and epaulettes visible on his shoulders, and his gaze directed slightly to his left. The engraving is executed with fine intaglio lines characteristic of security printing of the period, conveying a formal and authoritative likeness. Above the portrait, the issuing authority is printed in bold serif capitals: “THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON”, arching across the upper portion of the note. Below this heading, the text reads “PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF” in smaller serif type, followed by the large, prominently displayed denomination “ONE RUPEE” in bold capital letters at the centre of the note. The date “1ST FEBRUARY 1941” appears beneath the denomination text, clearly establishing the issue date. Two manuscript signatures appear side by side below the date, with the printed caption “COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY” beneath them. To the lower left, the serial number “A/9 367943” is printed in dark ink alongside prefix lettering, and the denomination numeral “1” appears in each upper corner. The border of the note is composed of intricate guilloché and geometric patterning in shades of purple, olive green, and brown, with fine ornamental scrollwork framing the entire face. Sinhalese script appears along the lower left border and Tamil script along the lower right, giving the note its bilingual character. To the right of centre, a large unprinted circular area is reserved for the watermark, visible as a plain pale zone against the more richly printed surrounding areas.

The reverse of the note is printed predominantly in olive green and grey-green tones, with the title “GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON” arching across the top in bold serif capitals. The central vignette is an elaborate intaglio engraving depicting a working elephant scene: a large elephant stands amid tropical vegetation, with a mahout seated atop the animal, and tall coconut palms leaning over the scene to the right. The engraving captures the texture of the elephant’s skin, the drape of palm fronds, and the surrounding scrub in considerable detail, giving the composition a richly naturalistic quality. A caption below the central vignette reads “ELEPHANT’S HEAD” in small capital letters, identifying the watermark motif that corresponds to the blank circular zone visible on the front. To the left of the central scene, a large unprinted oval area again marks the watermark position. The lower portion of the reverse carries a wavy-line border design in teal and green tones, and below this, Tamil script repeats the denomination inscription. The outer border of the reverse mirrors the ornamental scalloped and guilloché framing of the front, maintaining a consistent decorative register across both faces of the note.

Whether it is a single 1941 Government of Ceylon one rupee banknote or a mix of leftover currency, Webuyallcurrency.com exchanges Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes and other foreign coins and notes for cash in one straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 1 Rupee Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com is a simple way to exchange or sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash — current or withdrawn — turning your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes and any other leftover currency into one straightforward payout.

Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.