Chinese Banknotes
There is a wide variety of Chinese banknotes, but one of my favorite designs is the vertical designs which were popular up until the early 20th century. Here is a small collection of various notes from various local and provisional banks. As you can see, there is a lot of interesting detail in them, depicting everyday life scenes, flowers, vases, martial arts, waterfalls, etc. Like the themes, their sizes varied considerably. Unfortunately I do not read Chinese, and I've had to rely heavily on the information that came with these when I purchased them. I would like to thank Mr. Erwin Beyer, an expert in Chinese banknotes, for his friendly assistance in the translation of words, deciphering changed place names, and helping me to better understand and appreciate these notes -
"Thank you very much"!
Others who would like to help can contact me Here.
China 100 Tiao Kirin Yung Heng Provincial Bank - 1928. You'll see many overstamps on these notes, which are seals from banks and authorities that verify the authenticity of the banknote. These seals were anti-counterfeiting measures, as well as endorsements for the note to be accepted in areas both within as well as outside of its issuing authority.
China 1000 Cash - Tak Ching Kwong Bank in Chefoo China - Local Currency from Shangdong Province issued between 1908-1912. This note has no overstamps, but there is a lighter print area to the left. I've seen a few of these notes and they all exhibit this same light area and lack of overstamps.
China 1000 Cash dated 1926. This local note is from a company named Yi Shun De, in a city called Rongyi in the Shandong Province. This banknote was printed by Gong Yi, in the city of Weihai in Shangdong Province. The reverse is quite interesting as it shows various martial arts, another of my favorite studies.
China Hunan Province Yi Ching Chan Bank 2 String - 1931. The front shows scenes from everyday life, while the back has a man at top with what looks to be an elephant behind a seal.
China Local Note Shangtung, Pingdu, Shui Chang Xiang 2 Tiao - 1926. Mountain scenes at front with depictions of everyday life on the back.
China 1000 Cash dated 1926. This note was issued by a company called Yi Xiang Dong in the city of Wenyi, now called Wendeng, in Shandong province. The text area at the lower right where the date should be is incomplete which means it is a remainder (an unissued note). The date begins with "Min Guo..." which means that the note was issued in Republican times (after 1911). Compare the reverse of this interesting note with the one below.
The reverse of this note is the same design as the one above. There are some inking thickness variations and text in the crescent at top is different. The printers at the time would sell designs to local banks and print them per their specifications. This one evidently was one variation of a different bank or branch. The plates that were used to make notes at this time were generally metal but some were still made from wood cut blocks. The basic design was kept, but another artist might be making the new printing plate, and certain details could be changed. Compare the flame on the candle, ink splotches on the tablecloth, shading behind the lady in center, position of the second lady's pointing hand. Background lines are all quite different, as are certain details with the stylized flying bats.
Now consider the similarities and dissimilarities in the following two notes.
These notes are 'remainders', which are notes that were printed, but never issued. They lack the serial numbers, seals, etc., that would be typical to similar notes of the period.
They have printing differences that are distinct as the preceding notes are, with the line thickness, shading, and in the lower right, you can compare them and see that there is a table where there was only a bunch of flowers before. The lions on the top are also quite different in their artistic rendering. These were undoubtedly done by different artists, but as they were both issued in the same city, it is likely that the artists may have either known each other or were at least aware of each other.
The note to the right was issued by a company known as Wanyuanhao, in the city of Qingzhou, Shandong province. This particular note was issued by the Hongtai Lithographic Company. The characters in the center vertical line read downwards as: "Tong Yuan Quian Yi Diao Xheng". The first three "Tongyuanquian" together mean Copper Money. Then "Yi Diao" is the denomination of 1 Diao (string). The bottom character "Zheng" means Exactly. So altogether it is: "copper money of 1 diao, exactly." On the reverse of the note, there is a treasure bowl with four characters underneath meaning to "Beware of Forgeries". The center character is a number 1 with multiple 1's repeated within.
The note on the left was issued by the company Yixingyuan, in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, and was printed by a company known as Wenyouzhai. The center characters are similar, but this one is missing the first character, "Tong". Though it is missing, it is simply a shortened form of the same on the right, meaning "Copper money of 1 diao, exactly". The reverse also has a treasure bowl, but it's characters do not warn of forgeries, but rather inform the holder that this note was printed with a newer plate and is a second issue.
Again, thanks go to Erwin Beyer for translation assistance on these notes.
Below is a detail of the two above, showing the addition of a table on the right as well as other design liberties and styles.
China Shanghai Yi He Hao 200 Cash - 1932.
This 1,000 Cash, or Wen, was my first Chinese Vertical banknote in my collection. Looking closely, you'll notice that the street scene on the reverse shows a rickshaw and a horse drawn carriage. This image was commonly used by several printers in China at the time. The note was issued by a company known as Deshengju, in the city of Wenyi (known as Wendeng, today), in Shandong Province in North Eastern China. Wendeng City, located at the eastern tip of the Shandong peninsula, has an industrial core, but most of the people work in the farming trade. It is across the Yellow Sea from the Korean Peninsula.
This banknote lists an address of the company in a rather curious manner. Anglicized, this is "Wen Dong Men Wai Yi". The close observer will note that the name of the city, Wen Yi is located at the front and rear of the phrase. The middle of the address 'Dong Men Wai" translates at 'Outside the East Gate", so Deshengju was a company located outside the city's east gate.
The red letters along the left margin are "Deng Xia Bu Fu" or "No Payment Under The Lamp", a standard clause listed on most banknotes. The meaning of this phrase is that you would not be able to exchange this note after the sun sets. "Under the lamp" was a phrase that meant "By Lamplight", or "Darkness" when it was not possible to ascertain if the note was genuine, or one of the many counterfeit notes that were in circulation. Even though there were very strict laws concerning counterfeiting (beheadings and forfeiture of all property were not uncommon for government issued notes), the forgers were rife.
The note has a handwritten date of Year 10 (1921) and even a handwritten serial number. This curious piece is most likely from a printers sample book, as there are perforations along the side that are indicative of binding with string. Even if not from a sample book, the note is an un-issued remainder. An issued note should have the company's seal in red located at the lower left of the note.
China "Tung Shang" Local 1920s - 10 Chuan - with reversed 'G'. This note was issued by a company called Zhanfutai. The company was located in "Yeyi", a section of the city of Hangzhou, China. At the time this note was printed, term "yi" of the word "Yeyi" denoted a governed sector similar to a county. However, later on in Chinese history, the "Yi" was changed to "xian". This is now known as the County of Daye and is located in the Hupei Province.
Another locale is listed as Lujiapu. The suffix "pu" is generally used to denote a small town or village. This would have been located within Yeyi. Small towns such as Lujiapu were not required to change their names as were the larger governed areas. Lujiapu is still a very small mountain village within Daye, located east of Beijing City.
The reverse of this note has both Western text and what would appear to be Pinyin. What has come to light is that these words are meaningless, and that sometimes notes were given such western 'flavor'. Perhaps they were placed there in an effort to give the appearance of western companies backing of the notes, thus making them accepted among the local inhabitants who thought they were more secure than a typical local issue. This is evident by the obvious fake words and the reversed letter "G".
China Shantung, Chang Shing He Chi 6000 Cash
This note is an unissued remainder banknote from Shantung, China and has a denomination of 6,000 Cash. This note is different in a couple of distinctive areas. First there is the noticeable western numeral 6 placed in four spots on the front of the note: Top, bottom left and right. Again on the front you will notice that there are three red overstamps, which are seals from issuing authorities - except that the top red seal is actually a depiction of a man holding a scroll. I've seen only a few of this type of red ink seal, and have yet to discover it's particular significance.
One can see that the front of the note depicts a series of scenes of travelers, rural and household life. The back of the note shows more of the same, but I believe the central vignette is depicting a fable or story.
A comparison of the detail depicting the men with scrolls from the two notes above and below. Note the similarity of the men holding scrolls with the note above. Were these an influence from other artists? There is likely a cultural reference to the showing of a scroll as such.
1925 China Kirin, Yu He Kong 100 Coppers Banknote
The note above is another unissued remainder, this one from 1925 in the city of Kirin, Yu He Kong (bank?) with a value of 100 Coppers. The banknote has an odd array of vignettes. From the bottom there are five people on clouds and the two on the ends have clouds rising above them which support other people, which repeats itself again and again, each person having clouds emanating from pipes, musical instruments, teapots, etc. until the very top which depicts two men with scrolls. The top vignette shows a stag bearing a rider with a rather large head, accompanied by a rider at the rear. They are greeted by a boy offering a bottle while others mill about.
The reverse of the note shows a top vignette of people in western clothing as if in a park. The reverse main vignette shows a train and a gate to a temple.
A series of banknotes issued by the Farmers Bank of China is another set of banknotes that I've found to be particularly appealing in their depiction of agricultural scenes. The quaint vignettes of these notes offer a historical, romantic view of older farming techniques, most of which are now accomplished with machinery.
Twenty cents small change note issued in 1937 depicting rice harvesting.
10 Cents small change note issued in 1937 showing farmers relaxing by animal pens.
1 Yuan banknote issued in 1935 with rice harvesters, laborers and children playing.
5 Yuan banknote from 1935 illustrating wheat thrashing, separating chaff, picnicking and raising children.
A 10 Yuan banknote from 1935 with an overseer directing the construction of a humongous hay bale, separating chaff from wheat, laborers, and a household scene with mother and child. All this going on while a man tries his best to keep the efforts of their hard work from being consumed by two birds.
A 10 Yuan note from 1940 with a simple vignette of a man irrigating his crops.
Above is a 1 Yuan note from 1936 depicting an older type of transportation. Confucius is depicted conversing with a young child on the reverse vignette of this note. This vignette relates an interesting story about Confucius being taught a lesson by a child named Xiang Tuo (Shang Too-o). It seems that one fine day while Confucius was out riding his chariots with his followers, he encountered a child playing in the middle of a road. The chariots stopped and Confucius saw that the child was making a sand castle, and ordered the boy to move aside.
The child, Xiang, was precocious and said back to Confucius: “When does a castle make way for a chariot? All the while, chariots must go around the castle to get to the other side.”
Confucius was amazed at the child’s reply and, perhaps feeling a bit challenged, asked the child a few more questions.
Confucius asked “Which mountain has no rock?”
Xaing answered “A sand mountain.”
“Which body of water has no fish.”
“Water in a well has no fish in it.”
“Which cow does not give birth?”
“A cow made of mud.”
“What type of man has no wife?”
“An angel has no wife.”
“What kind if woman has no husband?”
“A fairy has no husband.”
“Which city has no government officers?”
“An empty castle.”
Confucius was reported to be amazed at how this young child of 7 years age could be so wise. He decided to test the child further by playing a gambling game with him. The young Xiang refused and said: “ A king who gambles will lead his kingdom into ruin. A farmer who gambles will loose his harvest. A student who gambles ignores his studies. I do not gamble. It is a useless activity – why should I learn?”
At this Confucius declared that the child was correct and that the young Xiang Luo was his teacher. He told his followers that even among three people, there will be a teacher, and that they must not be afraid to ask.
All pages and images copyright © 2011
Neither information nor images from this site may be reproduced without permission
