10 dollars 1923

Common. eBay market data shows consistent sales in the $1.75-$10.61 range for this denomination and period across various condition grades (F to VF) spanning 2010-2021, indicating healthy collector supply and active trading. The 2016 catalog value of $50 for EF specimens and $20 for F-grade notes, combined with regular auction appearance, confirms this is a standard issue within its type. The Central Bank of China maintained significant printing volumes during 1923, and this Pick number does not appear in any standard rarity catalogs as a scarce or rare variety.

Issued in 1923 during the tumultuous early years of the Republic of China, this note reflects the Central Bank's attempts to modernize Chinese currency under the National Government's Ministry of Finance. The bilingual English-Chinese inscriptions and ABNC printing demonstrate China's integration with Western banking standards and international commerce during this era. The prominent portrait of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic, reinforced national identity and legitimacy during a period of significant political fragmentation and warlordism.

The obverse features a center portrait of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), founder of the Republic of China and first provisional president, depicted with short dark hair in formal early 20th-century styling within an elaborate oval ornamental frame. The composition employs symmetrical floral and geometric decorative elements flanking the portrait, with fan-like ornamental designs above and elaborate corner cartouches in all four corners. The reverse presents a formal denomination design with large ornamental '10' numerals in corners, sophisticated scrollwork and flourishes in black and white, and an ornate banner format characteristic of Western bank note design. The bilingual presentation (Chinese/English) and ABNC production standards reflect the modernization aspirations of the early Republic.

OBVERSE: Central Chinese text reads '中央銀行' (Central Bank), '中華民國' (Republic of China), and '民國二十年國民政府財政部統一發行' (Year 20 of the Republic of China, National Government Ministry of Finance unified issuance). Serial number 754945 appears in blue numerals in upper corners with handwritten signatures. REVERSE: English text includes 'THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA' in ornate banner at top, 'TEN DOLLARS' at bottom center, denomination '10' in large ornamental numerals in corners, and printer attribution 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY'. Date '1923' appears in circular cartouche. Serial number 754945 repeats in blue.

Intaglio engraving (line engraving) by American Bank Note Company (ABNC), one of the world's premier security printers. The intricate fine line work, complex geometric patterns, high-contrast black and white reverse, and crisp detail visible throughout indicate classical engraved plate printing. The multicolor capability on the obverse (brown, green, red/pink, yellow/gold on beige underprint) suggests multi-pass color printing typical of ABNC's advanced techniques of the 1920s. Security features rely on the complexity of engraved design patterns rather than modern security threads or holograms.

This specific note is identified as Pick P-176b (the 'b' variety designation indicates it is from the smaller print size variant: 152 x 76mm rather than 157 x 78mm). Serial number 754945 with handwritten signatures in lower corners is consistent with the standard signature variety format. The note shows characteristics of the standard 1923 issue with no visible overprints, date changes, or other modifications that would indicate a recognized sub-variety. Signature varieties exist for this issue but require expert authentication and comparison.