1368-1399 China Ming Dynasty Note PMG AU53

This Rare China Ming Dynasty Note Is Over 620 Years Old!

Printed in the late 14th century during the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hungwu Emperor and first sovereign of China's Ming Dynasty, this extraordinary paper note is one of the world's very earliest numismatic printings. More importantly, it's one of the earliest commercial printings on paper, produced nearly a century before the famous Gutenberg press was even invented! It's also a huge note about the size of a piece of copy paper. Imagine carrying this baby around in your wallet—you'd have to fold it at least twice just to get it to fit, making the amazing grade of About Uncirculated-53 (AU53) condition that it received from Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) even more significant.

One Of The Largest Paper Notes Ever Printed

Measuring approximately 8½" x 13½" (220 mm x 340 mm), this note was the largest paper money note ever created up until 1998 when the Philippines issued a 100,000 Peso note that is larger. It was produced with a woodblock printing process that used a sheet of gray mulberry bark paper made by stripping the bark from mulberry trees, grinding it into pulp, then pressing it together to form paper. It had an original cash value of 1,000 copper coins, or 1 Kuan.

This note features the Chinese characters that read, "Great Ming Circulating Treasure Certificate," and a wide decorative border with a dragon motif. The denomination is printed in the center with characters, that read, "one string," with a pictorial representation of ten piles of 100 copper coins. Not to leave any financial loopholes, additional text on the note reads, "To circulate forever," along with warnings of the severe punishments for counterfeiters and an offer of reward for those who inform against them. Finally, two authorizing seals are printed. The first reads, "Seal of the Treasure Note of the Great Ming Dynasty," and the second reads, "Seal of the Office of the Superintendent of the Treasury."

China's Revolutionary Achievement

Without a doubt, China's invention of paper money was one of the most revolutionary achievements in world history. Although paper money is known to have been printed in China at various intervals from the ninth century onwards, it wasn't until the first reign of the Ming Dynasty in the late 1300s that an entirely paper-based currency system was instituted. The symbolic significance of this note is further emphasized by the fact that it was featured as one the world-changing inventions in the recent British Museum project, A History of the World in 100 objects.

From A Cache Of 50 War-Torn Notes

With an impressive look and feel, this note would literally not exist if it and 49 others like it hadn't been found underneath an overturned Buddha statue during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. Forty of those notes were seized by the Chinese government and the rest were stashed away as found loot in the knapsacks of international troops sent to China to defend Christian missionaries and government officials. Of the few that exist, one can be seen in the British Museum, and another is located at the Museum of Belgium. Five of these spectacular notes made it to America—and this beauty is one of them! This is the only one we have available, so act fast if you don't want to miss out!