Great Ming general circulation treasure note.
| Other Authors: | |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | Chinese |
| Published: |
[Beijing] :
[Board of Revenue?],
[between 1375 and 1426?]
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| Subjects: |
| Item Description: | Title devised by cataloger. Possibly issued by the Emperor T'ai-tsu, of the Hung-wu era. His title appeared on these notes and on successive Ming issues as an honor given to the founder of the dynasty, regardless of the fact that all Ming emperors had their own reign titles. Made of recycled blue/gray mulberry bark paper, printed in black. Two official government seals appear on the face of the Ming 1 kwan note, and 1 on the verso. They were pressed into the finished note with wooden blocks using vermilion ink, thereby authenticating it. Black seal on verso to indicate its value, the ten strings representing 1000 cash. Translation of the principal inscriptions found on the note: 'Great Ming General Circulation Treasure Note' -- 'One kwan' -- A pictorial presentation of ten strings of 100 cash (= 1000 cash = 1 kwan) -- 'Great Ming Treasure Note' in seal style characters -- 'To circulate for ever and ever under the heavens' in seal script -- The lower panel text reads: 'The Board of Revenue, having petitioned and received the imperial sanction, prints the Great Ming Precious Note, to be current and to be used as standard copper cash. The counterfeiter shall be decapitated. The informant shall be rewarded with 250 taels of silver, and in addition shall be given the entire property of the criminal (issued on) this day__of the __month of__year of the Era of Hong-wu.' |
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| Physical Description: | 1 note : blue/gray ; 34 x 22 cm |