Catalog
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| Issuer | Ta Ch'ing Government Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1906 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#A72 |
| Obverse description | Blue-green and lilac note with the bank title 'THE TA CHING GOVERNMENT BANK' across the top. A central supported arms vignette flanked by two figures occupies the upper centre, with the denomination 'ONE DOLLAR' in large letterpress below. Branch designation 'TIENTSIN' and date '1st Sept. 1906' appear at lower centre, with 'ACCT' and 'MANAGER' signature lines and a guilloche border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Supported arms vignette at upper centre on a plain ground, with minimal additional ornamentation consistent with the period printing style of CMPA. |
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| Comments |
The Ta Ch'ing Government Bank was established by imperial decree in 1905 as the Qing dynasty's first attempt at a centrally controlled state bank — distinct from the earlier Hu Pu Bank, which it effectively superseded in function if not immediately in name. This 1906 dollar-denominated issue reflects the broader currency reform agenda pushed through by Finance Minister Tsai-tse, who was attempting to rationalize a monetary system still fractured by regional taels, foreign treaty-port currencies, and competing provincial banks.
The CMPA, a French firm better known for its advertising and commercial print work, is an unusual choice for a note of this ambition. The bank's entire paper currency program was overtaken by the 1911 revolution before any real institutional stability could be achieved.