1 jiao 1953
Market Prices
45 salesAbout This Note
This 1953 Chinese 1 jiao note (Pick P-863) is presented in UNC condition, displaying excellent preservation with no visible wear, creases, or tears. The front features a distinctive heavy truck illustration rendered in greenish-yellow tones with brown and red accents, while the reverse displays the national emblem within an ornamental cartouche on a brownish-pink background. As an early People's Bank of China issue from the founding years of the PRC, this note represents an important transitional period in Chinese currency design and remains highly collectible in higher grades.
Common. While early PRC currency issues command collector interest, the 1953 1 jiao (Pick P-863) was produced in substantial quantities and remains relatively available in the market. eBay auction data shows consistent availability across multiple condition grades from VG to UNC, with UNC examples selling in the $150-$170 range during 2014-2015. Recent PMG-graded examples in the 66-67 range have sold for $100-$320, indicating steady but not exceptional demand. The note is not scarce and represents a common, collectible early PRC issue rather than a rare variety.
This 1 jiao note was issued in 1953 by the People's Bank of China during the early consolidation period of the People's Republic, established in 1949. The front's depiction of a heavy transport truck reflects the era's emphasis on industrialization and economic development under the new regime, while the reverse's national emblem—featuring the Tiananmen gate structure and five stars—symbolizes the unified Communist state and its revolutionary ideology.
The front of this note features a heavy transport truck or cargo vehicle positioned on the left side, rendered in period-appropriate engraving style, symbolizing the industrial modernization central to early PRC policy. The reverse displays the national emblem—the Tiananmen gate structure crowned with five stars representing the five classes of society in Marxist ideology—set within an elaborate ornamental cartouche. Both sides employ traditional Chinese decorative motifs including cloud scrolls, elaborate borders, and geometric patterns. The color scheme of greenish-yellow and brownish-pink reflects the multi-color lithographic printing techniques typical of the era. Serial numbers appear in red on the front.
Front side: '中国人民银行' (People's Bank of China), '壹角' (One Jiao), '一九五三年' (Year 1953), and serial number 'VI III □ 7818411'. Back side: '中国人民银行' (People's Bank of China), '壹角' (One Jiao), and date '1953'.
This note was produced using multi-color lithography, a standard technique for Chinese banknote production in the 1950s. The intricate background patterns, radiating lines, ornamental cartouches, and fine-line engraving visible throughout indicate skilled engraving work combined with lithographic production. The People's Bank of China's principal security printers during this period included the Beijing and Shanghai printing facilities, though specific attribution for this particular variety would require additional research into printer marks or documentation.
The observed serial number format 'VI III □ 7818411' suggests this may be from an intermediate printing series. Early 1953 jiao notes are known to exist with various serial number prefixes and printing variations. The specific combination of red serial numbers and this particular prefix pattern may help identify the printing sequence, though cataloging of 1953 jiao varieties remains incompletely documented in Western references. Collectors should note that multiple printing variants exist for this denomination in 1953, potentially affecting value for specialized collections.
