The Ceylon currency notes with her portrait, dated 1952-June-3rd, a year before her coronation are the world's first dated Currency Notes with her portrait after she ascended to the throne on 1952 Feb 6th. The denominations Rs1, Rs2, Rs5, Rs50, and Rs100, excluding the Rs10, were issued with the date 3rd June 1952.
The Ceylon Rs 10, dated 1953-July-1st is the first to be issued after her coronation on 1953 June 2nd.
Ceylon was also the first Commonwealth Nation to stop using the QEII portrait on their Banknotes. Last issued with the date 16th October 1954. New notes after the Sinhala Only Act were issued dated 1956-7-30 with the Armorial Ensign of Ceylon. These facts were inferred by checking notes in Pick of all countries that issued notes with a QEII portrait of 1954 and older.
Only in 1956, the UK Treasury gave permission to the Bank of England to use the Monarch's portrait in a new series of notes. which were first issued in 1960.
Ceylon has a few Oriental Bank notes with enthroned Victoria, the design of which was used by Bradbury Wilkinson in few countries. Subsequently Ceylon used the Monarchs image on BankNotes from 1941 to 1954 and but on Coins from 1815 to 1957. Why is there such a difference in the usage of the Monarch image between Banknotes and Coins? See also an interesting 1956 transition sketch essay.
