章节分类

Some of the provincial bank note issuing authorities were originally established during the reigns of the last two Chinese emperors prior to the establishment of the new republic. As such they continued doing business as normal with notes circulating alongside those of the foreign banks, the various early military issues which were mainly overprinted notes of provincial authorities, and the rush of the endless local issuers during the next two decades of most major cities.

In some case the old imperial notes were reissued with current years of the republic overprinted over the past emperor’s name and year of reign. The following listings, based on Ward Smith’s writings, are inclusive of provincial issuers and the occasional municipal or local government issuer whose notes circulated beyond its local boundaries.

OVERPRINTS

The various city or regional overprints are easily noted, being normally two or three Chinese characters usually in two or more places on a note and sometimes found in English on the other side of the note.

Various single Chinese control characters were applied, and appear in two or more places on a note. Sometimes western numerals were utilized and appear in circles, or outlined squares, etc.

The most frequently encountered overprint in the Three Eastern Provinces and Manchurian series is a four Chinese character overprint in a 21mm square outline. This Official Controller’s Seal overprint supervised the amount of issue of certain banks and guaranteed the notes. In certain cases we find available an original printers’ specimen, an issued note, an issued note with the official overprint along with a “local” specimen of a circulated note bearing normal serial numbers. The purpose of this overprint at present eludes the authors at this writing.

NOTE: Catalog # in () are in reference to CHINESE BANKNOTES by Ward Smith and Brian Matravers, 1970, Shirjieh Publishers, Menlo Park, California.

Issuer Identification

Issuer index compiled from this book’s chapters; original inscriptions retained.