Qing Dynasty - China Emperor Xianfeng (Hsien Feng) Year 8 (1858) Imperial issue paper currency 大清寶鈔 2000 cash 文 （wen). Serial number 歡 (Huan) 1009. The reign of the Xian Feng Emperor marked one of the Qing Dynasty's darkest periods. The country was devastated by the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, foreign colonial attacks (Opium War) and a weak government due to corruption. As a result, there was hyperinflation resulting in drastic measures such as the issuance of paper currencies introduced since the birth of the Ming Dynasty during the Hong Wu Emperor. Needless to say, these did little to curb inflationary pressures. These were printed on special made paper using government controlled printing blocks. They were officiated by an imperial seal and marked with a handwritten serial number. When redeemed, a financiers brush stroke is evident.
Interesting. I have noticed the word cash used for chinese coins and now paper currency. I am assuming the word originated in China? I ask since the word is used in the English language such as when we go to a store and they have a sign that states Cash Only.. And the cash is kept in the Cash Register
Actually the term cash is Indian in origin. Meaning money. Early Chinese currency are measured in units or qian 钱。thus when translated, they adopted the term cash
And curiously the printing of the notes was not done a whole lot differently than the Ming dynasty notes. I briefly owned one of the Ming era notes before giving it as a gift. I'll try to find an image of the note and ask the person owning it now if I can use the image.
Yeah.. the printing technology is primitive. Thus there is a risk of counterfeiting. To curb this, the penalty was death..
I'm not sure of its exact composition but it is pretty fibrous and contains some degree of mulberry fibre although lesser than the Ming notes. Actually paper technology in China was pretty advance.. just that the printing technology is still pretty old school
They used mulberry bark paper for the Ming notes, it is a dark bluish green in colour. This note is a 1 Kuan or 1000 cash(notice the image in the centre of ten bundles of coins) coin note that was printed ca. 1399-1400 - I will find if I can get an image of the reverse which has a red seal stamp. It is conjectured that most of the known notes were found in a bronze statue that was being moved in Beijing in ca. 1935-6.
Have some notes from the Vietnam era, from the HOCHI MIN TRAIL, the paper Is almost like rice and looks like it has been eaten by insects, not sure if there Is a China refrence here but the paper seems to be unique.
