Coins and Paper Money -> Paper Money – World -> China

The Chinese actually invented paper money, and the process of making it dates back to the early 9th century. Collectors are always seeking Chinese paper money due to its rich history and value, and this is a currency that is very unique. Although it is nearly impossible to find many of these notes outside of a museum, Chinese paper money is very popular and if you can get your hands on a note, you may have a treasure on your hands.

Chinese paper money was originally called “Flying Money” because it was so light, and if the owner did not hold on to it, it could easily blow away. The first notes were made from very delicate paper and they were used almost like IOUs. The owner would write down on the note what they were willing to pay for something, and the recipient could then take that to the bank to cash it. This bank draft system is very similar to our own checking system now.

Chinese paper money changed slightly when the Mongols took over. Instead of paper, the notes were then produced from silk and they were backed by a silk standard, much like the gold standard that would later be used in the Western hemisphere. This was a new idea, and in order to use the notes, the owner would have to actually deposit a set amount of silk yarn in the bank.

The silk form of Chinese paper money endured, and was used throughout the world. It has been discovered in far flung parts of the world by archeologists, but it is very rare to find any that are available to private collectors. After this period in Chinese history, the Ming Dynasty changed the currency, moving back towards paper.

The main problem they faced with this new Chinese paper money was that there was only one set denomination. This forced many to rely on coins since the notes were hard to use for smaller purchases. Due to these problems, paper money actually fell out of use and inflation rose. It wasn’t until modern times that paper money would return and become widespread.

We can thank the Chinese for our current paper money system and their innovations which are centuries old are still in use today. Collectors of Chinese paper money will typically be able to find notes for sale from other private collectors or at auctions. The advent of the internet made it easier to locate many of these notes and business is booming on online auction sites.

For those interested in collecting Chinese paper money, it is best to find notes that are in good condition. The most common are the ones from the Ming Dynasty period, but every once in awhile you can find older notes. The paper is very thin, so these notes should be treated with extreme care and sealed off from air and dust. They are an important part of monetary collectibles and should be treasured as such by collectors.

Photo Credits: kevindooley

Originally posted 2008-09-29 14:00:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Gold Nuggets Coins and Paper Money -> Bullion -> Gold-> Nugget When it comes to finding a money collectible that immediately has a sense of value, it’s hard to come close to a gold nugget. For centuries, gold fever has been inspired by the talk of immense gold nuggets and to this......
• Russian Ruble Coins-and-Paper-Money -> Coins-World -> Russia The Russian ruble collector is likely someone who doesn’t just love coins, but has an interest in Russia’s heritage as a country. One of the problems with purchasing rubles is that counterfeiting has always been a common thing with Russian coins. And not just......
• Buffalo Nickels Coins and Paper Money -> Coins - US -> Nickels -> Buffalo (1913-1938): 1913-19, 1920-29, 1930-38, Mixed Lots The popular US coin called the Buffalo Nickel was only minted from 1913 to 1938, but it quickly became one of the most popular coins and certainly one of the most collectible.......
• Canadian Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Coins: Canada -> Commemorative Whether you are from Canada, or just interested in collecting Canadian coins, there are plenty of options out there and many of these coins are actually quite valuable. Before you get started with your collection, it’s a good idea to know......
• Federal Reserve Notes Coins and Paper Money -> Paper Money: US -> Large Size Notes -> Federal Reserve Notes One of the most interesting collectibles in the field of coins and paper money are federal reserve notes. However, there is quite a bit of confusion out there about what these notes really are.......

• Weekly Roundup: Bad Car Luck Edition If you've been following me for a while you know that I am nearly finished paying off our family vehicle.  As luck would have it, my old van died again today in the work parking lot, so it looks like my final push toward car loan freedom may be in......
• DOW JONES October 2009 Rally breaks 10,000 points The Dow Jones Index (14 October 2009) rose above 10,000 points for the first time since early October 2008, as US stocks powered higher. Investors cheered at the New York Stock Exchange, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the psychological 10,000 point barrier, finally closing at 10,015.86 points. This......
• 10 Websites Where You Can Manage Your Money Online For Free. Besides your own bank which might also offer the service (mine does - Bank of America), there are plenty of other websites where you can monitor all your bank accounts - and sometimes even your frequent flier miles, reward point balances, and your spending habits - for free. If your......
• 5 Things to Look For When Picking a High Interest Bank If you're interested in leveraging your credit in a safer environment, credit card arbitrage is one of the best ways. In order to succeed, you need to make more interest than your low interest balance transfer offer and for that you need to invest your money in a high interest......
• Making money with an eBay Store, Part 3: Starting and minding your business (This post is part of a series on Making Money with an eBay Store. The Introduction and table of contents to the series is here.) In the Introduction I mentioned some of the good things about starting a side business, especially the peace of mind that mastery of one's financial......

• 1934-45 Mercury 1916-45 Dimes Coins US Coins Paper Money
• Double Florin UK Great Britain Europe Coins World Coins Paper Money
• Gold UK Great Britain Europe Coins World Coins Paper Money
• Fractional, Pioneer Gold Coins US Coins Paper Money
• 1965-98 Washington 1932-98 Quarters Coins US Coins Paper Money