Chinese Money – Printed in America

Here’s a little factoid I didn’t know – from the 192os through to the 1940s many Chinese bank notes issued by the Central Bank of China were manufactured for the Republican treasury by the American Bank Note Company. I have to thanks Helen Wang, the fascinating keeper of the British Museum’s Collection of East Asian coins for that one. I heard her speak the other week at the China in Britain: Archiving Conference at the University of Westminster. Apparently not just the American Bank Note Company, based in Fort Lee (New Jersey), printed money for China but also Waterlow & sons of the UK and De La Rue (also of the UK)

Some Chinese bank notes were indeed printed and produced in China, notably by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Beijing. However, even low denomination notes were printed abroad – here below is a one yuan note printed by the American Bank Note Company in 1945 for the Central Bank of China – in 1945 one yuan was effectively worthless due to stagflation.

You learn something new everyday!