5 dollars 1920
Market Prices
About This Note
This is a 1920 Provincial Bank of Chihli (Tientsin) 5 Dollar note, a bilingual Chinese-English provincial currency issued during the early Republic period. The note exhibits VF condition with the characteristic light blue-gray obverse featuring a central pagoda vignette and ornate corner cartouches, while the reverse displays English text promising payment. The specimen shows age-appropriate patina with foxing and historical markings consistent with over a century of preservation.
Common. eBay market data shows this denomination and type trading regularly at moderate prices ($38-$145 USD for VF specimens), with multiple sales recorded across various condition grades. The Provincial Bank of Tientsin was a significant issuer during its operational period, and 5 Dollar denominations represent standard circulation notes rather than limited issues. Print runs for this Pick number were substantial, and surviving examples remain readily available to collectors.
Issued December 1st, 1920, this note represents the complex monetary landscape of early Republican China when regional banks maintained significant currency-issuing authority. The Provincial Bank of Chihli (直隸省銀行) operated from Tientsin (Tianjin), a major treaty port, and issued bilingual notes to facilitate both domestic and foreign commerce. The pagoda depicted on the obverse symbolizes traditional Chinese culture and regional identity, while the English-language reverse reflects the international commercial importance of Tientsin during this period.
The obverse features a centrally-placed multi-tiered pagoda with characteristic upturned eaves rendered in traditional Chinese architectural style, set against a delicate light blue-gray background with fine geometric patterns throughout. Large circular cartouches containing the Chinese numeral 五 (five) appear at all four corners, with ornamental scrollwork and floral designs forming decorative borders. The reverse presents a more formal Western banking design with large ornamental numerals '5' in quatrefoil cartouches, symmetrical corner decorations, and centered English text in a classical bank note format. Both sides demonstrate the hybrid aesthetic typical of treaty port banking instruments, blending Chinese traditional motifs with Western financial document conventions.
OBVERSE (Front): 直隸省銀行 (Zhili Province Bank), 五 (Five), 圓 (Yuan/Dollar), 天津 (Tianjin), 光緒現付 (Payable on presentation), 中華民國 (Chinese Republic), Serial number 165230. REVERSE (Back): PROVINCIAL BANK OF TIENTSIN, PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER, FIVE DOLLARS, LOCAL CURRENCY, TIENTSIN, DECEMBER 1ST 1920, AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, Serial number 165250. The note includes handwritten signature/endorsement in black ink reading 'Tientsin'.
Intaglio engraving executed by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC), as identified on the reverse. The note exhibits characteristic features of fine line engraving including intricate geometric background patterns, detailed cartouche designs with multiple layers of fine lines, and the precise registration visible in both Chinese and English text. The ABNC watermark and security printing standards of the era are reflected in the complexity of the design and the quality of the impressions observed.
This specimen corresponds to Pick S1264b with signatures Ma-Chang without English titles (Smith & Mizukazu #C163-21a designation). The serial numbers show 165230 on the obverse and 165250 on the reverse, typical of sequential numbering practices. The note features handwritten endorsement marks and purple/violet stamps consistent with period banking practice. This represents the standard 1920 issue; no overprints or exceptional variety markers are evident from the visual analysis.
