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500 Yuan Central Bank of China
| Issuer | Central Bank of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette of a large steamship moored at a harbour quay, with smaller rowing boats in the foreground and a waterfront skyline in the background, all printed in red intaglio. A large blank oval guilloche panel occupies the left side, serving as the watermark zone, with denomination numerals in scrollwork cartouches at the corners. Signature lines for the Assistant General Manager and General Manager appear below the central vignette, flanking the date. |
| Reverse lettering | THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA 500 1942 FIVE HUNDRED YUAN NATIONAL CURRENCY THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED LONDON |
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| Comments |
The 500 Yuan notes of this series were printed by De La Rue in London but reached China under difficult circumstances — wartime shipping routes meant consignments were delayed, diverted, or lost entirely, and delivery schedules bore little relationship to actual issue dates. Some denominations from this broader 1942 program arrived in China well after the inflationary spiral had already eroded their purchasing power to near-irrelevance.
By 1942, Nationalist China's monetary situation was deteriorating rapidly under the strain of prolonged conflict with Japan. The 500 Yuan face value, substantial at the start of the war, was losing ground fast against inflation that would eventually require denominations in the millions before the decade was out.