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20 Coppers
| Issuer | Ministry of Finance, Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Blue and purple note with two oval vignettes at centre: the left vignette shows a lakeside pavilion complex identified as the Summer Palace, while the right shows the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The issuer's name in Chinese characters is inscribed within a cartouche at the top centre, flanked by serial numbers in black on both sides. Large Chinese characters '貳拾枚' (Twenty Coppers) occupy the centre field, with red official seals and additional overprint characters at the lower centre; '北京' (Beijing) appears in a panel at the bottom, and '中華民國' (Republic of China) is inscribed at the lower right margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Green and gold note centred on a single large oval vignette of a Chinese temple and surrounding grounds rendered in fine intaglio engraving, framed by ornate guilloche scrollwork and floral acanthus devices. The arched legend '20 TWENTY COPPER COINS 20' runs above the vignette in English letterpress. The numeral '20' appears in bold relief at the bottom centre, set within a decorative base, while Chinese marginal inscriptions in the vertical borders flank the design on both sides. |
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| Comments |
The Republic of China's Ministry of Finance issued this note during a period when copper-unit denominations were being used to bridge the gap between large silver-based currency and everyday small commerce — a chronic structural problem in Chinese monetary administration throughout the early Republican period. The American Bank Note Company had a long-standing relationship with successive Chinese governments, supplying engraved currency from New York for a country whose domestic printing infrastructure could not yet meet demand for secure, high-quality paper issues.
P#608 is among the less commonly encountered Ministry of Finance coppers notes from this run. Surviving examples in any grade turn up infrequently.