Myntauktion 1 - Philea
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Myntauktion 1 - Philea

Myntauktion 1 - Philea Myntauktion 1 - Philea

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80 Sedlar, Kina / Banknotes, China 3797 300 wen 1369 Banknote plate from early Ming dynasty under Emperor Hung Wu (1368–1398). The printing plate used to print the bill 300 Wen (300 cash) in 1369 AD. The printing plate is large and made of bronze, 12×21.5 cm and has pristine original bronze patina. Note that the printing plate design is reversed so that the finished notes would be mirrored and thus text and design be showed correctly. The discovery site for this object is the city of Luo Yang in Henan Province in China (see also below). It was this type of older Chinese banknotes Marco Polo in the 1200’s referred to as ”The Chinese flying money” and that the Emperor had invented a way of ”making money out of nothing.” This information from Marco Polo gave Europeans inspiration to issue banknotes in Europe (several hundred years later). PROVENANCE The discovery site for the printing plate is the city of Luo Yang in Henan Province, China. Luo Yang is a very old city with over 3000 years of history, and included the capital during the nine different dynasties. The city ranked the highest of China’s seven ancient capitals. The most prosperous periods of the city of Luo Yang was the Sui and Tang dynasties with a metropolitan population of over 1 million inhabitants (the years 581–907 AD). The city is also known as the Oriental beginning of the ”Silk Road”. Mount Bei One of the city consists of the largest ancient cave and tomb cluster in China, established already for the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–221 BC). This area is a direct source of ancient cultural relics unearthed. This item comes from these discoveries. (The majority of all discoveries were commonplace artifacts and burial gifts. Note that it is extremely rare that the tools for coin and banknote production are preserved, because the risk of counterfeiting was sufficient reason to ensure destruction after they had served out its purpose). During the early decades of the 1900’s, explorers and missionaries worked in relatively inaccessible areas and conducted excavations, acquired and taken possession of local finds. Mr Sven Hedin is such an internationally recognized explorer who in many books documented his movements. He and his expedition team brought home to Sweden in different rounds excavation objects of which the lion’s share went to Swedish museums, mostly East Asiatic Museum. An American missionary, Mr Arthur Coole, great connoisseur of Chinese coins and author of recognized reference books were particularly active during the 1930’s and 1940’s. His legacy collections of objects have partially entered the market, most recently at auction in the U.S. (Lyn Knight, Memphis Auction 2011, Session 4, Lot 2557) when among other items a print plate corresponding to the type here offered, but from the previous Yuan period and of other denomination, was knocked down for the astronomical amount 285000 USD (valuation was 10000–20000 USD). In the U.S. catalog description, references are made to museum specimens as well as probable specimens preserved in China, USA and Europe. In Tokyo, the Currency Museum also possess a print plate, but of a different denomination. It is probable that specimens from the above expeditions remained in private hands and since have found their way to both museum and private collections. It is a fascinating and numismatically particularly important and interesting object, here now offered to the market. It is a tool from the early banknote production and a beautiful object in its genre. In connection with this auction are sold under separate headings philatelic items related to Sven Hedin and his circle. See also ”A Compilation of Pictures of Ancient Chinese Paper Money” published by The Inner Mongolian Numismatic Research Institute ”China Numismatics” Editorial Department, published in 1992, depicting and describing early notes and printing plates, their provenance etc. 1+ (Very Fine) VF (1+) Old greenish patina 20.000:-

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