Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | People's Bank of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1950 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 000 Yuan (50 000) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 中國人民銀行 伍萬圓 一九五零年 (Translation: People's Bank of China / 50,000 Yuan / Year 1950) |
| Reverse description | The central vignette depicts a tractor working an agricultural field, symbolizing post-revolutionary industrial and agrarian development, printed in olive-green and blue tones. Flanking the central scene are two large circular guilloche rosettes bearing the numeral value 50000 in bold serif type. The bank name in Chinese characters runs along the top margin, with the year 1950 displayed centrally at the base within a decorative scroll frame. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The first series Renminbi (第一套人民币) was issued from 1948 onward as Communist forces consolidated control of the mainland, with denominations escalating rapidly to accommodate the severe inflation inherited from the Nationalist period. By the time this 50,000 yuan note appeared in 1950, the series had reached its ceiling — this is the highest denomination of the entire first series, reflecting just how far purchasing power had collapsed before monetary stabilization could begin.
The series was demonetized in 1955 when the second series RMB replaced it at a conversion rate of 10,000 old yuan to 1 new yuan. First series notes were not preserved in quantity; official policy discouraged retention, and the high-denomination notes were the first surrendered.