As a new guy, I ain't sure of all the rules so if this is wrong delete it. I was just looking at some stuff I collected over the years and came across these that I pretty much forgot I had picked up. The story from the seller was, they were made in China for the bankers to train front line staff for the Olympics. I never did search them out like I was gonna so I have no idea. Kinda/sorta cool they liked our hundreds enough to make two. Just thought they were kinda neat and two of the photo's show they were close.
The U.S. had the most beautiful currency in the world back in the 1800's/early 1900's. It's such a shame we can't do better these days.
They can't really be called counterfeits since with that Chinese all over them they are certainly not meant to deceive. Just rather interesting curiosities, I'd say. They may even have cleared them with the Canadian government. Somewhere there may indeed be similar Australian, American and European notes. Anyone got any? I'd like some Chinese versions of the British notes, I can think of a few jokes involving the use of them.
They are, Banknote Samples or Training Notes used by bank tellers in training. Do a Google Image search for something like "Chinese training banknotes" and you can see all sorts of examples.
I've heard the same story as relates to these notes. Not sure it's the real story, but as good as any other for now. Here's some French ones:
The U.S. did have and also produced the same quality for other countries, such as China, not all that long ago, similarly beautiful notes when the need for banknote technology was needed in securing a given country's currency at a time when that country couldn't produce secure securities themselves. Widely accepted aesthetically pleasing representational vignettes and flourishes graced banknotes from a more decorative-inspired era, but it masks the reality of the fine lines and engraved marks that were sufficient to thwart counterfeiters of the day. Now pretty pictures and spirographic line work design alone are not up to the task of securing any nations securities. It takes modern technological application to the existing format, superior inks, patterns that defeat software and scanning, weaving of non-paper pulp fibers and so on to stay a step ahead of those who would undo the security of other nation's currency. It might not look pretty, and neither does a motherboard on a computer when you open up a PC and look at it to most people. But the engineers and designers who craft these devices within, are like securities designers, not so much thinking of aesthetics but function, and engravers of today are primarily racing to defeat fraud and criminality, and what they manage to achieve and still deliver us with paper notes bearing intaglio printed images (in the US at least) is a marvel of modern technology that I think too many people overlook and under praise. The notes of today will also be regarded in the future for their innovations and while different from the past will stand apart from what ever follows them in the future.
As an after thought- I only live an hour away from Crane Paper Co. and have never visited, I should, just to see how our currency paper is produced, along with the museum there. I worked for a short time at Rising paper in Housatonic, Ma. also.
