50 Grams - Sunflower Oil Stamp Siping City, Jilin

A ration coupon rather than currency in any conventional sense — issued by the Siping City Grain Bureau to allocate vegetable oil during a period when edible oils remained under state rationing in much of northeastern China. By 1987 the broader commodity rationing system was contracting as market reforms accelerated, but individual municipal bureaus retained authority over locally administered staples, which is why coupons like this one continued appearing at city and county level well after provincial grain tickets had been phased out.

Sunflower oil was the dominant cooking oil in Jilin province, reflecting local agricultural output rather than national policy preference. The 50-gram denomination is notably small — roughly a single tablespoon — suggesting tight supply management at the household level.