10 Yuan The Grand Canal, Anhui

The Grand Canal series, issued by the People's Bank of China as part of its ongoing World Cultural Heritage coin program, highlights individual provincial sections of the canal system — here, the Anhui stretch. The Sui Dynasty's construction of the original waterway in the early 7th century required an estimated 5.5 million conscripted laborers, and the mortality rate among workers was severe enough to contribute to the dynasty's collapse within decades of completion.

KM#2916 is a recent addition to the series; secondary market premiums on earlier Grand Canal issues have been steep, driven largely by domestic collector demand.