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5 Yuan Bank of China
| Issuer | Bank of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Portrait of Sun Yat-sen at left, within an oval vignette, set against a fine guilloche underprint. Chinese text appears horizontally across the note in the traditional right-to-left reading order, with the denomination repeated in the corners. The overall color scheme is in blue-purple tones with intricate lathe-work borders framing the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette shows an intaglio rendering of the Bank of China building in Shanghai, a prominent Art Deco high-rise tower flanked by adjacent structures, set within a detailed architectural scene with trees in the foreground. A large oval guilloche frame occupies the left portion of the note, while the denomination "FIVE YUAN" and "NATIONAL CURRENCY" appear in bold lettering to the right alongside two manuscript facsimile signatures above the titles "GENERAL MANAGER" and "MANAGER". The date "1937" is inscribed at the bottom center within a cartouche, with the printer's imprint below. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of China's 1937 series was produced by De La Rue in London prior to Japan's full-scale invasion, though the deteriorating military situation meant distribution across the branch network was severely disrupted almost immediately after the notes reached China. Some denominations from this series circulated primarily in areas that remained under Nationalist control, while stocks held in coastal cities were seized or destroyed in 1937 and 1938 as Japanese forces moved inland.
Pick 80 is among the more recoverable survivors of the series — less so than the higher denominations, which had more restricted release.