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5 Yuan
| Issuer | Central Bank of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Yuan |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The left two-thirds of the reverse are occupied by a large guilloche medallion centring the numeral '5' and the words 'FIVE YUAN' in letterpress, surmounted by an arched banner bearing 'THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA'. To the right, an intaglio architectural vignette depicts a multi-tiered pagoda tower set within a landscaped compound. Two facsimile signatures appear below the central vignette, captioned 'GENERAL MANAGER' and 'GOVERNOR', with the date '1945' and the printer's imprint 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY.' at the foot. |
| Reverse lettering | THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA FIVE YUAN 5 1945 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY. |
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| Comments |
The Central Bank of China's 1945 issues were printed in New York under wartime arrangements that had been running since the late 1930s, as Japanese occupation of major Chinese cities made domestic printing infrastructure unreliable or inaccessible. The American Bank Note Company handled substantial volumes of Chinese currency through this period, with finished notes shipped across the Pacific under considerable logistical difficulty.
By 1945, hyperinflationary pressure was already severe enough that a 5 Yuan denomination had effectively negligible purchasing power on arrival. The colored security planchettes embedded in the paper stock were a meaningful anti-counterfeiting measure for a note that, economically, was barely worth counterfeiting.