1 Dollar Ta-Ching Government Bank

The Ta-Ching Government Bank was established by imperial decree in 1905 as the Qing dynasty's first attempt at a centrally controlled national bank — distinct from the older provincial and merchant banking structures. This 1906 dollar note came at a moment when the Qing administration was aggressively trying to standardize a monetary system that had long run on regional silver tael weights, foreign trade dollars, and a chaotic mix of local copper cash.

The bank's authority collapsed faster than its ambitions. The 1911 Xinhai Revolution ended Qing rule entirely, and many of these notes were rendered worthless within years of issue. Survivors in collectible condition are scarce precisely because they circulated hard in a system that had no stable redemption mechanism behind them.