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Banknotes Depot



This site contains a comprehensive collection of Chinese paper money and banknotes on the internet. Dedicated mainly to numismatics and coins.
Additions will include East Asia (Japanese, Hong Kong, Korean, etc), and eventually the worlds' paper money.

The site details...
  1. Information, awareness, and education on numismatics.
  2. Banknotes for purchase geared towards collectors.
  3. Comprehensive history and information on paper money.
This site aims to be comprehensive. You can help complete the collection by donating or purchasing missing banknotes that you want. Just provide the MD number of the missing piece you wish to purchase or have evaluation on, and this site will improve, containing photographs and detailed information on each piece of banknote. All pieces are for sale. If one is sold, a similar or better version will be purchased and photographed to replace it. Feel free to donate banknotes to this site (worn and in poor condition accepted) if you have duplicates. You can also donate money to support this endeavor.
To purchase a banknote (worn or mint), check MD number webpage to get you up to speed with Chinese banknotes, and then visit contact link below for inquiry.



As a warning to collectors of Chinese banknotes. There are many fake banknotes in circulation. The paper money issued in the early days of China lacked sophisticated countermeasures to counterfeiters, thus they were easily copied. There are bad copies and there are good copies. You can protect yourself checking this section first:

Detecting Counterfeit and Fake Chinese paper money


If you have a piece of banknote that you wish a valuation, it costs just $5 for a banknote. Inquire at the contact link below if this interests you.


MD (Money Depot) Number Categorization DescriptionFor understanding how Chinese banknotes are differentiated from each other.
Chinese NumbersFor easy translation of numerical Chinese characters and their actual value number.
Contact and FeedbackFor questions, comments, and seeking of services (purchase, evaluation, etc)


Below are the actual banknotes (Chinese paper money specifically). It uses MD Number for categorization, so do understand it first as it is very useful for categorizing Chinese currency. Unlike generic random Pick numbers, all the banknotes listed here use this unique categorization so that you can easily differentiate between them. Throughout the history of China, there were many banks that issued money, but six of them had great influence during the course of Chinese history. This site concentrates on these six issuing banks:

Controlling PartyLocation and Period of Banknotes in ChinaName of Issuing Bank
Communists
(People's Republic of China)
Mainland China (1948-1953)Peoples Republic of China (First Series)
Mainland China (1953-1956)Peoples Republic of China (Second Series)
Mainland China (1960-1972)Peoples Republic of China (Third Series)
Mainland China (1980-1996)Peoples Republic of China (Fourth Series)
Mainland China (1999-Now)Peoples Republic of China (Fifth Series)
Buy this complete series for a low price!
Nationalists
(Republic of China)
Mainland ChinaBank of Communications
Mainland ChinaBank of China
Mainland ChinaCentral Bank of China
Mainland ChinaFarmers Bank of China
TaiwanBank of Taiwan
JapanCentral and South ChinaCentral Reserve Bank of China
North ChinaFederal Reserve Bank of China
ManchuriaCentral Bank of Manchukuo
East HebeiChi Tung Bank
Shanghai Commercial AreaHua Hsing Commercial Bank
Inner MongoliaBank of Chanan
Inner MongoliaMeng Chiang Bank
GermanyJiaozhou Bay (1898-1914) Deutsche-Asiatische Bank
Great BritainHong Kong (1842-2047) The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (Hong Kong)
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)
Bank of China (Hong Kong)
Government of Hong Kong
PortugalMacau (1887-2049) Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco da China

Chinese banknotes preceding and following War War II were issued during a time of turmoil. Because China at that time was separated into many pockets of areas governed by different entities, these entities issued their own banknotes. Mostly, China (with the exception of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) at that time can be summed up as having three major controlling entities: Communist controlled areas, Nationalist controlled areas, Japanese controlled areas.


Communist currency in China

Because the Communist party in China ultimately won the civil war against the Nationalists, Peoples Bank of China became the sole issuer of banknotes in modern China. Before that time, however, China under Communist control was separated into many areas of "resistance" against the areas controlled by the Nationalists and the Japanese. Most of these areas were pockets of land in hard to reach areas with self-sustaining economy and had banks issuing unique banknotes. There were many, many Communist banks issuing notes because throughout War War II and the civil war afterwards, the Communists areas were constantly changing (the famous Long March also influenced major changes) in order to survive against the Japanese and Nationalist army.

You can divide the Communist banknotes into four major periods in China, and they are: The Early period (before Long March), The Middle period (after Long March until the end of War War II against the Japanese), The Later period (civil war against the Nationalists), and finally the Modern period (after the defeat of the Nationalists and their retreat to Taiwan).

It should be noted that most province and city names in China in the first three periods were romanized using an old western naming system that was then called China's old "Chinese Post Office System". See Chinese Romanization for more information about this place name system. This same Chinese Post Office System was used on the banknotes that required Chinese romanization. After the defeat of the Nationalists, mainland China adopted the PinYin romanization system on the banknotes. Therefore, you will see different ways of spelling for place names between current issues of banknotes in China and those of earlier pre-1949 banknote issuing banks. To add to the confusion, many books during that period used Wade-Giles romanization, and sometimes the place names (like cities and provinces) may use the Wade-Giles romanization instead of the old de-facto Chinese Post Office System and the current official PinYin system. The tables below will list the issuing banks for the first three periods using the old Chinese Post Office System if they are listed on the banknote itself, otherwise any descriptions involving places and cities will use the current modern PinYin system. A conversion table is available between the Chinese Post Office System, Wade-Giles, and modern PinYin by checking the right side of this China Information section.

Early Period Communist currency in ChinaIssuing Banks: 1927-1935
The Early Period describes banknotes issued before the Long March (1927-1935).

The Chinese Soviet Republic (founded 1931) were mostly self-governing hard to reach areas led by Mao Zi Dong and were made up of peasants. Very early coins and few banknotes made in this period (1927-1935) had Workers and Peasants Bank or Chinese Soviet Republic, in Chinese, labelled on them, with hammer and sickle symbols. Banknotes issued during this period were issued by entities that included the province name (ex. Hubei and Hunan), followed by workers and farmers bank all in Chinese characters. Many banknotes from 1932-1935 were labelled Chinese Soviet Republic National Bank, all in Chinese characters. Some of these banknotes featured a picture of Lenin, Marx, or Stalin on them, and some were even made of cloth. The Soviet Union tried and failed at that time tried to recruit Sun Yat Sen to spread communism and influence the urban industrial workers, because China at that time were mostly peasants, unlike in Soviet Union. After the Long March (in 1935), all Communist currency started using paper only (with few or no coins). Because early paper were of very low quality, many banknotes were also printed on cloth.

Provinces

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
AnhweiAnhui
ChekiangZhejiang
FukienFujian
KiangsiJiangxi
KwangsiGuangxi
HonanHenan
HunanHunan
HupehHubei
ShensiShaanxi
SzechuanSichuan


  • Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi
    • Kiangsi worker's and Farmer's Bank
    • Northwest Kiangsi Soviet Bank
    • Hunan-Hupeh-Kiangsi Worker's and Farmer's Bank
    • Ping-chiang Worker's and Farmer's Bank
    • Hunan-Kiangsi Worker's and Farmer's Bank
    • Liu Yang Worker's and Farmer's Bank
  • Hubei
    • East Hupeh Bank
    • Hunan-Hupeh Soviet Bank
    • Wanzai Workers, Farmers and Soldier's Bank
    • Hupeh Worker's and Farmer's Bank
    • Southeast Hupeh Workers, Farmers and Soldier's Bank
    • Southeast Hupeh Workers and Farmer's Bank
    • East Hupeh Workers and Farmer's Bank
  • Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi
    • Western Fukien Workers and Farmer's Bank
    • Fukien-Chekiang-Kiangsi Soviet Bank
    • Fukien-Chekiang-Kiangsi Soviet Bank, North Fukian Bank
  • Jiangxi-Hunan-Anhui
      Kiangsi-Hunan-Anhwei Soviet Workers and Farmers Bank
  • Hubei-Henan-Anhui
    • O-Yu-Wan Area Soviet Bank
    • Hupeh-Honan-Anhwei Soviet Bank
    • Hupeh-Honan-Anhwei Soviet Workers and Farmer's Bank
  • Anhui
    • Northwest Anhwei Special District Soviet Bank
  • Chinese Soviet Republic
    • Chinese Soviet Republic National Bank
  • Hunan-Guangxi
    • Chinese Soviet Republic Bank of Kwangsi
  • Sichuan-Shaanxi
    • Szechuan-Shensi Soviet Workers and Farmer's Bank
    • Bank of Soviet Szechuan-Shensi Provincial workers and Farmers
    • Chinese Soviet Republic Szechuan-Shensi Provincial Workers and Farmer's Bank
    • Worker and Peasant's Bank
  • Unknown
    • Yang Xin Hsien Farmer's Bank
Middle Period Communist currency in ChinaIssuing Banks: 1936-1945
The Middle Period describes banknotes issued after the Long March until the end of War War II (1936-1945).

After the Long March, most of the Communist forces were in Yan'an city of Shaanxi. During this time, there was a period of cooperation between the Communists and the Nationalist to drive out the Japanese invasion. As a condition of cooperation, some troops of Mao Zi Dong were under control of the Nationalist, and for a brief period between 1936-1937 the Communists agreed to stop printing their own version of currency separate from those printed by the Nationalists. Many issuing banks during this period feature the words "Border Area" in their names, indicating that the region it was issued was "bordering" Japanese occupied territory, but was under Communist control. The paper quality were much better during this period, and many banknotes during this era survive to today. The 7 banks in red indicate banks that survive this middle period and continue issuing currency during the beginning of the later period (civil war between Nationalist and Communists). Note that Suiyuan province and Chahar province no longer exist and both are now part of Inner Mongolia (Neimenggu province of China). Many of the bank names refer to provinces and not cities. For example, Bank of Chinan (Chinese Post Office System romanization) translates to Bank of Southern Hebei, and Chinan is actually pronounced and romanized Jinan in modern PinYin. It should not be confused with the capital city of Shandong province (also called Chinan, or Jinan in PinYin). Another famous bank is Bank of Bai Hai (Bank of Beihai in PinYin). It is translated to Bank of Northern Sea, and serves mainly the Shandong province.

Provinces

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
ChekiangZhejiang
KansuGansu
KiangsuJiangsu
KwangsiGuangxi
HeilungkiangHeilongjiang
HonanHenan
HopehHebei
HunanHunan
HupehHubei
NinghsiaNingxia
ShansiShanxi
ShantungShandong
ShensiShaanxi


  • Shaanxi-Gansu
    • Chinese Soviet National Bank-Northwest Branch
    • Bank of the Anti-Japanese Aggression People's Revolutionary Committee
    • Shensi-Kansu Provincial Soviet Bank
    • Yenan Border Area Bank
  • Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia
    • Shensi-Kansu-Shansi Soviet Bank
    • Shensi-Kansu-Ninghsia Border Area Bank
    • Guanghua Store of Yenan
    • Shensi-Kansu-Ninghsia Border Region Trading Company
  • Shanxi-Suiyuan (Neimenggu)
    • Farmer's Bank of Northwest China
    • Suiyuan-Mongolia Border Area Bank
  • Shanxi-Chahar (Neimenggu)-Hebei
    • Bank of Shansi, Chahar and Hopei
    • Seventh Administrative District Shansi-Chahar-Hopei Area Cooperative Society
  • Shanxi-Hebei-Henan
    • Southern Hopei Bank
    • Bank of Chinan
    • Shansi-Hopei-Shantung-Honan Border Region Bank
    • Hopei-Shantung-Honan Border Area Bank
    • Southern Shansi Border Area Bank
    • Honan-Hopei Border Area Bank
  • Shandong
    • Bank of Shangtong
    • Bank of West Shantung
    • Bank of Bai Hai
    • Kiangsu-Shantung Border Area Bank
  • Central China
    • Bank of Hupeh Regional Bank
    • Provincial Treasury of Hupeh-East Hupeh Branch
    • Yanfu Bank
    • Kiang Hwai Bank of China
    • Huainan Bank
    • Ta Chiang Bank
    • Huaihai Regional Bank
    • Hunan-Hupeh Border Construction Bank
    • Bank of Kiangnau
    • Bank of Central China
    • Bank of East Chekiang
  • Unknown
    • Antung Bank
    • Sung Chiang Bank
    • Border Area Trading Bureau
    • Bank of Mu Dan Kiang
    • Suchung Bank
    • Huinnung Bank
    • Heilungkiang Provincial Bank
Later Period Communist currency in ChinaIssuing Banks: 1945-1949
The Later Period describes banknotes issued during the Chinese civil war until the Nationalist retreated to Taiwan (1945-1949).

After the War War II ended in 1945, a civil war started between the Nationalist and the Communists. Most of northern China was under Communist control, while most of the southern China was controlled by the Nationalists. Near the end of this period, the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan. The 7 banks in red indicate identical banks that survived from the middle period and continue issuing currency during the beginning of the civil war. Note that Chahar province no longer exist and is now part of Inner Mongolia (Neimenggu province of China). Note that Jehol province also no longer exists and was divided and merged into modern Hebei province, Liaoning province, and Inner Mongolia (Neimenggu province).

Provinces

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
FukienFujian
KansuGansu
KiangsiJiangxi
KirinJilin
KwangsiGuangxi
KwangtungGuangdong
KweichowGuizhou
HopehHebei
Inner MongoliaNeimenggu
LiaoningLiaoning
NinghsiaNingxia
ShansiShanxi
ShantungShandong
ShensiShaanxi
SinkiangXinjiang
YunnanYunnan


  • Hebei-Jehol-Liaoning
    • Bank of Shansi, Chahar and Hopei
    • Bank of Rehher Sheeng
    • Bank of Chang Chung
    • Jehol Provincial Bank
    • Hopei-Jehol-Liaoning Border Area Bank
  • Northeast China
    • Bank of Inner Chang
    • Bank of Kirin
    • Bank of Kuantung
    • Tung Pei Bank of China
    • Southern Hopei Bank
    • Bank of Chinan
    • Bank of Bai Hai
    • Maoigungs Liutingkyan Hejiang Bank
    • Mudanjiang Industrial Bank
    • Bank of Nenchiang
  • Northwest China
    • Farmer's Bank of Northwest China
    • Shensi-Kansu-Ninghsia Border Region Trading Company
  • Xinjiang
    • Sinkiang People's Bank
  • Inner Mongolia
    • Eastern Mongolian Bank
    • Bank of Inner Mongolia
    • Inner Mongolian People's Bank
  • Central Plains
    • Chun-chou Farmers Bank
  • East China
    • Bank of Central China
  • South China
    • Yu Min Bank
    • Hsin Liu Bank
    • Fukien-Kwangtung-Kiangsi Border Area Bank
    • Southern People's Bank
    • Kwangsi-Kweichow-Yunnan Border District Bank
  • Unknown
    • Shandungsheng Liangshi Zunggy
Modern Communist currency in ChinaIssuing Banks: 1949-Now
The Modern Period describes banknotes issued after the civil war and the founding of the People Republic of China (1949-now).



After the civil war against the Nationalist, the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, and started issuing notes using the entity Peoples Bank of China. There were Five Series of banknotes. Each later series provided a unique set of banknotes in different denominations and contained better security measures than the series it replaced. From the beginning of the third series issue, PinYin romanization of Chinese characters were added to the banknotes.
Mainland China (1948-1953)Peoples Bank of China (First Series)
Mainland China (1953-1956)Peoples Bank of China (Second Series)
Mainland China (1960-1972)Peoples Bank of China (Third Series)
Mainland China (1980-1996)Peoples Bank of China (Fourth Series)
Mainland China (1999-Now)Peoples Bank of China (Fifth Series)
Buy this complete series for a low price!



Nationalist currency in China



DescriptionIssuing Banks
Chiang Kai Shek took over from Sun Yat Sen when he died (in 1926), and led the Nationalists against the warlords left over from the Qing Dynasty period, against the Japanese invaded territories, and the areas controlled by the Chinese Communists. The Nationalists issued banknotes labelled Bank of China and Central Bank of China mainly. Other banks issued under their control include Bank of Communications and Farmers Bank of China.
Mainland ChinaBank of Communications
Mainland ChinaBank of China
Mainland ChinaCentral Bank of China
Mainland ChinaFarmers Bank of China



Japanese currency in China



DescriptionIssuing Banks
The Japanese controlled territories in China issued banknotes, and the Bank that issued the most was the Central Reserve Bank of China, serving central and southern China. These were areas previously under Nationalist control as they fled to Chongqing. Although these currency had pictures of Sun Yat Sen on them, the territories and banks were actually puppets under Japanese control. Other areas of China under Japanese control also issued currency under different bank names, as the list on the right provides. The pictures on these notes do not feature Sun Yat Sen on them.
Central and South ChinaCentral Reserve Bank of China
North ChinaFederal Reserve Bank of China
ManchuriaCentral Bank of Manchukuo
East HebeiChi Tung Bank
Shanghai Commercial AreaHua Hsing Commercial Bank
Inner MongoliaBank of Chanan
Inner MongoliaMeng Chiang Bank



Germany currency in China



DescriptionIssuing Banks
Germany, through war, won a lease of land from the Qing dynasty of China for 99 years starting in 1898, but lost control of it to the Japanese in 1914. This land area was the Jiaozhou Bay, located in Qingdao prefecture of Shandong province. Qingdao beer (a famous beer in China nowadays) was actually created from their occupation. The banknotes issued in this territory were under the name Deutsche-Asiatische Bank.

Places

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
KiaochowJiaozhou
TsingtaoQingdao
Jiaozhou Bay (1898-1914) Deutsche-Asiatische Bank



British currency in China



DescriptionIssuing Banks
As a result of the first Opium War (1839-1842), the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 was signed, which resulted in the British getting Hong Kong Island. After the second Opium War (1856-1860), the Treaty of Tientsin in 1858 resulted in China also ceding part of Kowloon Peninsula to the British. In 1985, the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration between China and the United Kingdom resulted in the British agreeing to hand back to China: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the leased New Territories in 1997. However, because of an agreement of no changes in major laws for 50 years after the handover, Hong Kong will still print its own money like before, issued under the same banks on the right until year 2047.

Places

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
NankingNanjing
Hong KongXianggang
TientsinTianjin
Hong Kong (1842-2047) The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (Hong Kong)
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)
Bank of China (Hong Kong)
Government of Hong Kong



Portugal currency in China



DescriptionIssuing Banks
Portugal actually settled in Macau starting in the 16th century, but it was not formally under their administration until 1887, when China signed the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking, giving up Macau to Portugal. One hundred years later, on 1987, the treaty of Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration was agreed upon between China and Portugal, handing Macau back to China in 1999. However, because of an agreement of no changes in major laws for 50 years after the handover, Macau will still print its own money like before, issued under the names Banco Nacional Ultramarino and the Banco da China until year 2049.

Places

Chinese Post Office SystemPinYin
MacauAomen
PekingBeijing
Macau (1887-2049) Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco da China



There are other banks of course, but the six featured banks had a prominent role in Chinese history. The current Peoples Bank of China only issues money and doesn't actually offer normal banking services (ATM, savings accounts, etc) like Bank of Communications and Farmers Bank of China. Also, Bank of Communication and Farmers Bank of China no longer issues banknotes in mainland China (all mainland banks stopped issuing currency after the People's Bank of China started issuing them in 1948). Note that Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau also have different banks, publishing money under different authority and printers.

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