1 dollar 1920
Market Prices
About This Note
A 1920 Provincial Bank of Chihli 1 dollar note in Fine condition, displaying the characteristic ornate engraving style of early Chinese provincial currency. The obverse features a fortified watchtower on mountainous terrain rendered in purple and violet tones with cream underprint, while the reverse showcases symmetrical corner medallions and denomination markings in brown and tan. This note represents an important example of Republican-era Chinese provincial banking currency with fine line engraving throughout and multi-layered decorative security elements.
Common. eBay market data shows consistent pricing in the $40-$250 range for F-grade examples, with multiple sales recorded at modest levels ($42.95-$250.00 for Fine condition). The availability of numerous comparable sales at typical collector prices indicates this is a regularly encountered note in the market. While provincial issues from this era have limited print runs compared to central bank notes, this specific denomination and issuer does not show characteristics of scarcity.
Issued by the Provincial Bank of Chihli (Zhili) during the early Republic of China period, this 1920 note reflects the decentralized banking structure of the fragmented warlord era. The watchtower depicted on the obverse likely represents a regional fortification significant to Hebei Province, while the Tianjin (Tientsin) issuing location and bilingual English-Chinese inscriptions underscore the treaty-port economy and foreign banking influence characteristic of early 20th-century China. The note's production by American Bank Note Company (ABNC) demonstrates the reliance on foreign security printing expertise.
The obverse displays a large central cartouche with Chinese characters in decorative panels flanking vertical text on the left margin. The dominant design element is an engraved fortified watchtower or fortress set on mountainous terrain, positioned on the right side of the note. The composition employs ornate decorative borders in purple and violet with cream/beige underprint, fine cross-hatching pattern backgrounds, and a red-printed serial number across the upper center. The reverse features a symmetrical design with large denomination characters in the center, circular corner medallions containing crossed geometric patterns, scalloped ornamental borders, and a brown/tan color scheme on cream background. Both sides demonstrate the intricate line engraving work typical of ABNC security printing.
Front side: '直隸省銀行' (Provincial Bank of Zhili/Chihli), '天津' (Tianjin/Tientsin), '應用' (For use), '票用' (Banknote for use), '中華民國五十年印' (Printed in Year 50 of the Republic of China [1920]), Serial number '10001007' (red). Back side: 'PROVINCIAL BANK OF CHIHLI' (English), 'TEN GENTS' (Ten Cents in currency), 'CENTS', denomination numeral '10'.
Engraved intaglio printing by American Bank Note Company (ABNC), characterized by fine line engraving, complex geometric cross-hatching backgrounds, and multi-layered decorative borders. The security features include intricate cartouches, ornamental corner designs, and the fine detail work visible in both the watchtower landscape and corner medallion patterns. This represents the highest security printing standard available to Chinese provincial banks of the period.
This note corresponds to Pick S1263A (Zhili/Chihli 1 dollar 1920). The visual analysis confirms the signature configuration 'Chen-Wang with English titles' and the S/M reference #C163-20b. The dated inscription '中華民國五十年印' (Year 50 of ROC = 1920) confirms the issue date. Serial number 10001007 suggests early production run numbering. No overprints or significant design variants are apparent in this example.
