25 Cents Banknote (Government Of Ceylon King George Vi)

25 Cents Rupee (Issued 1942-1949)

Few wartime banknotes capture the administrative determination of British colonial governance quite like the Government of Ceylon’s fractional currency series of the 1940s. Issued during a period of acute wartime economic pressure, these small-denomination notes were produced to facilitate everyday transactions when coinage was in short supply across the Indian Ocean region. A currency specialist examining this note would immediately recognise its dual function as both a practical monetary instrument and a legal declaration, the text explicitly affirming its tender status and imposing a ceiling of five rupees on its use. The survival of a circulated example bearing a legible date of 1st December 1949 represents the final years of this series, making it a tangible document of Ceylon’s transitional monetary history.

On the front, the note is printed in a deep reddish-brown or plum tone on cream paper, giving it a distinctive, almost monochromatic character consistent with wartime economy printing. The central focus is an engraved oval portrait of King George VI, depicted in military dress uniform with epaulettes and medal ribbons visible, rendered with fine intaglio line work that conveys considerable detail in his facial features and collar. The portrait is framed within an ornate oval border incorporating delicate guilloché-style patterning, surrounded by scrolling decorative elements that extend into the wider field of the note. At the very top, bold serif lettering reads “THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON,” flanked on either side by the denomination “25¢” printed in the upper corners. The legal tender declaration is split across the note: to the left of the portrait, the text reads “THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT,” while to the right it continues “OF AN AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING FIVE RUPEES.” The denomination is prominently stated in two separate typographic elements, with “TWENTY” appearing in a bold outlined cartouche to the left and “FIVE CENTS” in a corresponding cartouche to the right, together forming “TWENTY FIVE CENTS” across the lower central field. Below the portrait, the date “1ST DECEMBER 1949” is clearly printed, followed by a manuscript-style signature above the printed text “COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY.” Running along the very bottom of the note is a trilingual inscription rendered in Sinhala, Tamil, and another script, reflecting the multilingual character of colonial Ceylon’s official documentation.

The reverse of this note is notably plain by comparison, printed on the undecorated cream paper that formed the note’s substrate. The primary feature visible on the reverse is the serial number, printed in dark ink in the lower-centre of the field and reading “A 68 125240,” with the prefix “A 68” set slightly above and to the left of the six-digit numeral sequence. The paper itself shows the texture of aged, well-circulated stock, with fold lines, slight creasing, and minor surface marks consistent with a note that passed through active use. There is a small dark spot visible to the left of centre, likely a stain acquired during circulation. No decorative printing, guillochés, or back design are present, confirming that this series relied entirely on the front face for its official imagery, with the reverse serving solely as a surface for the serial numbering system used by the Commissioners of Currency.

Webuyallcurrency.com buys foreign coins and banknotes for cash, including this 25 Cents Government of Ceylon banknote from Sri Lanka. Send it in with any other Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes you have and we will handle the exchange in a single straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 25 Cents Rupee banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Got a mix of old coins and banknotes? Webuyallcurrency.com will exchange your Sri Lankan Rupees banknotes alongside other leftover and foreign currency, settling the whole lot in one straightforward transaction.

Other Sri Lankan Rupees you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.