1 yuan 1940
About This Note
This is an exceptional example of the Central Reserve Bank of China's 1940 One Yuan note (Pick J9c), graded EF, featuring a striking purple and violet color scheme with ornate Art Deco-influenced decorative borders. The front displays a portrait in traditional Chinese dress and an imperial ceremonial building, while the reverse presents bilingual inscriptions in English and Chinese with elaborate floral and geometric patterns. The note shows only minimal signs of age with vibrant coloring and sharp printing throughout, making it a desirable example for collectors of Chinese currency from this historically significant period.
Common. The Central Reserve Bank of China issued significant quantities of this 1 Yuan denomination during 1940. While the note has historical interest as a World War II-era Chinese currency issue, no evidence suggests extremely limited print runs, recall status, or exceptional scarcity that would elevate this to rare status. EF-graded examples are desirable among collectors but are available in the market at moderate valuations typical of common-to-uncommon Chinese banknotes from this period.
This note was issued during 1940 by the Central Reserve Bank of China (中央銀行儲備銀行), a period marked by Japanese invasion and the Chinese resistance during World War II. The inscription referencing 'Republic of China Year 19' (中華民國十九年) and the depiction of a monumental imperial building reflect the nationalist government's efforts to project stability and continuity during the war years. The bilingual English-Chinese design indicates the international context of Chinese banking and the government's need to maintain credibility in foreign trade and diplomatic circles.
The obverse features a male portrait in profile facing right, dressed in traditional Chinese formal attire within an oval frame positioned on the left side. The central design element is a large imperial or ceremonial building with classic Chinese architecture, including a prominent central structure with monumental staircase and surrounding walls—likely representing a government or cultural edifice of symbolic importance to the Republic of China. Two red square seals bearing Chinese characters are centrally placed. The reverse is dominated by the English-language authority line 'THE CENTRAL RESERVE BANK OF CHINA' with bilingual denomination and date information. Both sides feature elaborate decorative elements: baroque-style ornamental scrollwork in corners, traditional Chinese architectural motifs, circular medallions with Chinese characters, and intricate floral and cloud-pattern designs characteristic of the period's banknote aesthetic.
Front: '中央銀行儲備' (Central Reserve Bank); '壹圓' (One Yuan); '中華民國中央銀行' (Central Bank of the Republic of China); '中華民國十九年孫文' (Republic of China Year 19, Sun Yat-sen); Serial number 'K317905B'. Back: 'THE CENTRAL RESERVE BANK OF CHINA' (English header); 'ONE YUAN' (English denomination); 'VICE GOVERNOR' and 'GOVERNOR' (signature blocks); '1940' (year); Additional denomination markers '1' in corners.
Intaglio engraving (line engraving) on bank note paper, evidenced by the fine line patterns, intricate geometric designs, and detailed ornamental work visible throughout both sides. The sharp definition of portraits, architectural details, and security-oriented line work patterns are consistent with high-security intaglio printing standards employed by central banks. The precise registration of colors and the crisp rendering of both English and Chinese text indicate professional currency-grade printing.
This example displays serial number K317905B. The note bears signatures in the designated Governor and Vice Governor signature blocks on the reverse. The purple/violet color variety with the specific imperial building imagery and the particular inscription configuration identify this as Pick J9c specifically. Collectors should note variations in serial number prefixes and signature combinations across the print run, though the overall design remained consistent for this Pick number.
