Introduction to Chinese Banknote
本帖最后由 popo11 于 2016-9-20 16:19 编辑I quote the article from Primal Trek. It is a very detailed introduction to Chinese Banknote:
China is not only credited with having invented paper but it is also generally recognized to have been the first country in the world to use paper money.
The inspiration for China's paper money actually came from the "white deerskin" money (bai lu pi bi 白鹿皮币) issued under the reign of Emperor Wu (141 BC - 87 BC) of the Han Dynasty, and the "flying money" (fei qian飞 钱) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
True paper money became a major form of currency during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) with the issuance of the Jiao Zi (交子) and Qian Yin (钱引), and paper currency then continued under the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) which issued the Hui Zi (会子) and Guan Zi (关子).
The Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) issued paper money known as Jiao Chao (交钞) and Bao Quan (宝券), and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) continued the issuing of paper money with the Bao Chao (宝钞).
Due to certain drawbacks associated with paper money, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) relied on coins for a long time with the exception of a brief period (1651-1661) during the Shun Zhi reign of Emperor Shi Zu.However, the situation changed in 1853 during the Xian Feng reign of Emperor Wen Zong when large military expenditures were required to suppress the Taiping Rebellion.
Two types of notes were issued.The Hu Bu Guan Piao ("Official Note of the Ministry of Interior and Finance" 户部官票) was issued in a denomination based on a tael of silver.In addition, the Da Qing Bao Chao ("Treasure Note of the Great Qing"大清宝钞) was issued with the denomination based on bronze coins.
A frequently used term for the Guan Piao (官票) and Bao Chao (宝钞) notes of the Qing Dynasty was chao piao (钞票).Chao piao has become a commonly used word for "paper money" or "bank note" in general.
During the late Qing Dynasty, the government as well as private banks issued various paper notes denominated in silver dollars, cash coins and tong yuan (machine-made copper coins 铜元).This was the beginning of the issuance of modern currency in China which then expanded greatly following the 1911 Revolution and during the Republican Period.
A number of the more interesting bank notes from this period are displayed and discussed in the sections below.
But, Chinese paper money is more than just a convenient a form of currency.
Pictures, called vignettes, were originally added to the design of paper money as a measure against counterfeiting.
The vignettes are uniquely associated with Chinese history, economics, politics, and culture.Paper money provides a canvas upon which images of ancient Chinese historical sites are displayed and preserved.Some vignettes show world-famous structures such as the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace and the Confucian Temple at Qufu.Other vignettes display images of ancient walled cities, temples, pagodas, pavilions, towers, memorial arches, bridges, etc.Some banknotes record scenes of the introduction of new technology such as airplanes and trains while other banknotes document famous historical figures and the traditional daily life of the Chinese people.
There are even examples of Chinese paper money that retain the image of historical sites which no longer exist due to natural disasters, wars or acts of revolution and rebellion.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of standard catalogs and reference books on Chinese paper money seem to ignore these vignettes.At best, these books may mention that there is an illustration of a "temple" or "pagoda" but do not provide any information as to what the historical site is or why it may have been important enough to be included in the design of the currency.
This article will attempt to address this oversight by giving additional background information on selected banknotes so as to provide a better understanding of Chinese history and culture as conveyed through the images on its paper money.
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