10 Yuan Soviet Red Army

Issued by Soviet occupation forces following the August 1945 offensive against Japanese-held Manchuria, these military yuan notes were introduced alongside similar denominations to pay troops and purchase local goods — effectively forcing Chinese and Manchurian merchants to accept Soviet-backed scrip with no redemption guarantee. The notes circulated under Soviet military administration during the brief but economically disruptive occupation period before Nationalist and Communist forces competed for control of the region.

The issuing authority is sometimes catalogued as the Soviet Field Command rather than a formal banking institution, which is accurate — no central bank stood behind these notes. Printed in the USSR, the series has long attracted scrutiny over whether Soviet authorities deliberately flooded Manchuria with unbacked currency to extract material wealth before withdrawal.