20 fen 1938
About This Note
A stunning uncirculated example of China's 1938 Federal Reserve Bank 20 Fen note (Pick J49a), featuring an elaborate blue and cream color scheme with intricate decorative borders and traditional Chinese architectural imagery. The front displays a tiered pavilion building and ornamental seals in red, while the reverse showcases fine geometric crosshatch engraving characteristic of period security printing. This note represents a well-preserved specimen of Republican-era Chinese fractional currency in exceptional condition.
Common. Federal Reserve Bank of China notes from 1938 were issued in large quantities to support circulation of fractional currency during the period. While collectible, this denomination and issuer combination appears regularly in the market. The UNC grade enhances appeal but does not significantly elevate rarity status for this widely-produced series.
Issued in 1938 (Republic of China Year 27) by the Federal Reserve Bank of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, this fractional denomination reflects the monetary system of the Nationalist government. The depicted traditional Chinese architecture and institutional seals emphasize national sovereignty and cultural continuity during a period of significant political and military upheaval. The note's design incorporates advanced engraving techniques typical of international security printing practices of the era.
The obverse features a vertical rectangular composition with an ornate border of repeated geometric and floral patterns in blue. The central design showcases a traditional Chinese tiered pavilion or temple building with ornamental roof on the right side, symbolizing national heritage. A circular institutional seal or emblem appears on the left, flanked by red square seals positioned on either side of the large 'Jiao' (角) character. The reverse displays a highly symmetrical design centered on an ornamental cartouche containing Chinese characters, surrounded by elaborate scrollwork and intricate mesh/crosshatch engraving throughout. The denomination '20' appears on both sides.
Front: '中華民國聯合儲備銀行' (Federal Reserve Bank of China), '大角' (Large Jiao/20 Fen), '中華民國二十七年' (Republic of China, Year 27), '<82>' (serial or reference number). Back: '20' (denomination), '中華民國' (Republic of China).
Steel engraving on banknote paper, employing multiple layers of fine line work and crosshatch patterns for security purposes. The technique includes color separation printing in blue and red inks, with the elaborate border work and geometric patterns executed through traditional intaglio engraving methods characteristic of early 20th-century international security printers.
Pick J49a represents the primary catalog listing for the 1938 20 Fen denomination. The visual analysis indicates the presence of reference number '<82>' in red in upper corners and standard red seals characteristic of Federal Reserve Bank issues of this period. No additional overprints or significant varieties are evident in the analyzed images. PMG records indicate one cataloged variant for this base Pick number.
