2 rupees 1959
About This Note
A VF-graded 2 Rupees note from Ceylon's 1956-1962 series, issued September 11, 1959, featuring the iconic Sri Lankan lion emblem on the obverse and the ancient Medirigiriya Vatadage temple ruins on the reverse. The note displays the characteristic burgundy/mauve and cream color scheme with ornate guilloche security patterns typical of Bradbury Wilkinson's high-quality engraved work, showing moderate circulation wear with visible creasing but no significant damage.
Common. This note was issued as part of a standard circulation series (1956-1962) by the Central Bank of Ceylon and was produced in substantial quantities by a major security printer. The VF grade and September 1959 date do not indicate any scarcity; notes from this series remain widely available in the collector market. No print run restrictions or recall information is known for Pick 57b.
This note was issued during Ceylon's transition period following independence (1948), when the newly renamed Central Bank of Ceylon was establishing its own currency iconography. The front features the lion emblem from the Sri Lankan coat of arms, symbolizing national sovereignty, while the reverse depicts the Medirigiriya Vatadage—an important 12th-century circular Buddhist temple structure in Polonnaruwa—connecting the currency to Ceylon's rich cultural and architectural heritage during the Sirimavo Bandaranaike era.
The obverse features the Sri Lankan lion emblem (the 'Lion of England' derived from heraldic tradition but adopted into Ceylon's national arms) centered in a circular security medallion on the left side, surrounded by ornate burgundy guilloche border work. The reverse presents an engraved landscape scene of the Medirigiriya Vatadage, the circular temple structure at Polonnaruwa featuring multiple tall columns characteristic of 12th-century Sinhalese architecture, set within elevated terrain. Both sides employ intricate fine-line engraving with decorative corner denominational numerals, reflecting the printer's security printing standards.
Front: 'ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව' (Central Bank of Sri Lanka), 'ශ්රී ලංකා' (Sri Lanka), 'TWO RUPEES', serial number 'E 59 909136', date '1959 - 9 - 11' (September 11, 1959). Back: 'ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව' (Central Bank of Sri Lanka), 'TWO RUPEES', 'ඔරුවේ දෙවි' (Sinhala text), Tamil script inscription, printer attribution 'BRADBURY, WILKINSON & CO LTD. NEW MALDEN, SURREY, ENGLAND'.
Intaglio engraving (recess printing) executed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co Ltd., New Malden, Surrey—a premier British security printer. The complex guilloche patterns, fine line work throughout the borders, detailed landscape engraving on the reverse, and security medallion all demonstrate the multi-plate engraving technique characteristic of high-security banknote production in the mid-20th century.
Serial number prefix 'E 59' indicates the September 1959 issue date, consistent with the printed date on the note (1959-9-11). This represents a standard variety within the broader 1956-1962 series. No rare signature, overprint, or error varieties have been documented for this Pick number; variations would primarily consist of different date batches and serial number prefixes reflecting the note's multi-year production run.
