10 Yuan #119

Front

Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), founding father of the Republic of China, provisional first president, and leader of the 1911 revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty. His portrait appears at left on this Bank of China note, which was issued during the Republican era and the Second Sino-Japanese War. The inscription reads '中國銀行' (Bank of China) and '拾圓' (Ten Yuan), with the date '中華民國二十六年印' (Republic of China Year 26, 1937).

Back

The Bank of China headquarters building in Shanghai, a prominent Art Deco structure completed in 1936 at No. 23 on the Bund. This building symbolized China's modern banking sector during the Republican period and served as the bank's main office. The reverse displays 'BANK OF CHINA' and 'TEN YUAN NATIONAL CURRENCY' in English, with the year 1937 at bottom and printer's imprint.

History

This note belongs to the Bank of China's 1937 series, issued during the Republic of China period under the Nationalist government. The year 1937 marked the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, a period of significant economic turmoil. The Bank of China was one of four major note-issuing banks in Republican China, alongside the Central Bank of China, Bank of Communications, and Farmers Bank of China. These notes were printed by Thomas De La Rue in London, reflecting the internationalization of Chinese currency production during this era. The series remained in use until the Communist victory in 1949, after which the currency was replaced by the renminbi issued by the People's Bank of China.