10 dollars 1918
Market Prices
About This Note
This is a well-preserved example of the Kwangtung Provincial Bank's 1918 10 dollar note, graded VF, featuring exceptional engraved detail by the American Bank Note Company. The obverse showcases a striking architectural centerpiece—a domed institutional building reflected in water—rendered in rich teal-green with cream and red accents, while the reverse displays an ornate orange rosette pattern. Despite visible age-related foxing and a purple administrative stamp mark, the note retains excellent visual clarity and demonstrates the sophisticated security printing standards of early Republican-era Chinese provincial banking.
Common. While regional Chinese provincial bank notes have collector appeal, the eBay price data shows VF examples trading at $55.00 USD, with various condition grades across a wide range ($30–$650) that indicates multiple examples regularly appear in the market. The substantial print run by a major provincial bank, combined with survival of multiple specimens across different condition grades and regular marketplace circulation, confirms this as a relatively common issue. The lower price point compared to rare regional issues supports this assessment.
Issued on January 1st, 1918, during the fragmented Republican period when provincial banks operated semi-autonomously, this note represents Kwangtung's (Guangdong's) financial authority under decentralized governance. The bilingual English-Chinese design and promise to pay in silver dollars reflect the era's transition from imperial to modern banking practices and the continued importance of foreign commercial relationships. The architectural imagery and formal institutional symbolism convey the bank's authority and stability during a turbulent period of Chinese political consolidation.
The obverse presents a classical institutional architectural centerpiece—identified as a significant government or banking building with a prominent dome and multiple arches, depicted with a water reflection below to suggest permanence and stability. This building is flanked by bare trees and framed by ornate decorative cartouches with red backgrounds containing black Chinese characters denoting the denomination and issuing authority. The entire composition is bordered by intricate geometric and floral patterns typical of ABNC security printing standards. The reverse employs a radially symmetrical rosette or mandala-like pattern as its central focal point, surrounded by decorative corner cartouches containing the numeral '10'. The color palette transitions from the obverse's green-dominant scheme to warm orange and peach tones on the reverse, a deliberate security design choice to enhance recognizability and prevent counterfeiting. No portraits appear on this note; instead, the design philosophy emphasizes institutional legitimacy through architectural grandeur and geometric sophistication.
OBVERSE: Upper corners: '拾圓' (10 Yuan/Dollars). Bank name: '廣東省銀行兌換券' (Guangdong Provincial Bank Exchange Certificate). Side cartouches: '圓拾' (10 Yuan). Serial number: 678860. Bottom text: '中華民國紀年' (Republic of China era) and '惠兌換券銀圓用通' (Exchange voucher redeemable for silver dollars). Printer credit: 'American Bank Note Co. New York'. REVERSE: Header: 'THE PROVINCIAL BANK OF KWANGTUNG PROVINCE'. Date and location: 'CANTON' and 'JAN. 1st 1918.' Denomination text: 'Ten Dollars' and '圓拾' (10 Yuan) in corners marked with '10'. Promise clause: 'PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF'. Printer: 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK'. Serial number repeated: 678860.
Intaglio (steel plate engraving) executed by the American Bank Note Company, New York. The visual analysis reveals characteristic fine-line engraving throughout both sides, with particular emphasis on the detailed architectural rendering, intricate border patterns, and decorative rosette work. The precise geometric patterns, fine cross-hatching, and subtle tonal gradations visible in the scanned images are consistent with ABNC's premium security printing standards of the 1918 period. The multi-color printing (green obverse, orange reverse) was achieved through sequential intaglio passes, a labor-intensive technique employed to maximize counterfeiting resistance.
This specimen represents the Schwan-Boling catalogue variety K55-22b (as referenced in the realbanknotes.com data). The note is identified as a Regular Issue with the characteristic January 1st, 1918 date and ABNC printer mark with English signature format and no titles. Serial number 678860 is recorded on this example. The visible purple administrative stamp (likely a bank or collection mark) is a post-issue marking and does not represent a printing variety. No overprints or significant variants are evident from the visual analysis; this appears to be a standard printing of the primary design type for this denomination and issuer.
