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Auction: 25360 - The 360th Anniversary Sale
Lot: 37

EARLY MING DYNASTY 1 KUAN BANKNOTE

PMG 50 About Uncirculated | Ming Dynasty China, Da Ming Baochao, 1 Kuan, 1368-1399.
This remarkable 1 Kuan banknote dates back to the early Ming dynasty, commissioned over 600 years ago during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming emperor. Issued between 1368 and 1399, it represents the Ming government's ambitious initiative to replace silver and gold coinage with paper currency.
Paper currency originated in China as early as the 7th century, and materials like hemp, bamboo, and mulberry bark were commonly used. This 1 Kuan note stands as a tangible emblem of the financial innovation and centralised control characteristic of the Ming dynasty, a time marked by trade expansion and population, (Pick AA10, S/M T36-20).
Uncirculated, ever popular and historically fascinating. It would take a consortium of the greatest minds of our time to determine how a banknote over 600 years old could have been preserved in such incredible condition, in PMG holder, graded 50 About Uncirculated (Cert. #2164422-001).

https://www.pmgnotes.com/certlookup/2164422-001/50/

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Estimate
£7,000 to £11,000

Starting price
£1666