FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1928.
ANCIENT CHIN ESE CURRENCY.
Demand Drafts Nearly 2,000 Years Ago!
"FLYING MONEY" OF TANG DYNASTY.
Lecturing at the Rotary Club at the Astor House Hotel recently,
оп
Rotarian Mr. K. P. Hu of the Po king-Mukden Railway gave a most interesting address Chinese Coins and Currency.
He supple mented his remarks with several valuable specimens of ancient coins, and photographic remnants of old currency notes. Among the latter was an imprint of an old draft, bearing a chop signifying that it was payable on demand at Chengtu, Nanking, and one other elty, and carrying a warning that fraudulent imitation of these drafts rendered the guilty party liable to capital punishment, and offering a reward of 300 "Kwan" to those giving in- formation of such forgery. Mr.
has the meaning of sharpness. As time went on the coin took the form of the round end with the handle omitting the blada, This evolved into the round coin with a square hole, which form has been in use up to the present day. This has been called "Chuan Pi" or spring currency, signifying the re- semblance between the currency and the spring water which is sup posed to flow continuously without Interruption.
As business grew and travelling became more frequent the demand for the medium of exchange in- creased. Carrying of coles became clumsy and inconvenient, and some substitute had to be sought.
Paper Notes,
It was said in one of the Confu-
about 1000 B.C., a kind of currency Chow Dynasty,
note consisting of a piece of cloth two inches wide by two feet long, chopped with n Government Soal,
Hu also exhibited a form of cur-clan Classics that as early as the rency made of metal of the size first part of the and shape of an old-fashioned key, but minus teeth. This, he said, was used as a draft as early as the days of Christ. This imple- ment was engraved with a number of characters, some of them in gold, In order to prevent imitation. The draft was bought in ono city and payment was returned on pre- sentation in another city. The
manufacture of this currency was very complicated and ordinary per- sons could not do it..
Sign For Profit.
was used. Probably this was the earliest form of currency note over used in China.
But the actual use of the paper note started from "Fei Chuan," or "Alying money" of the Tang Dynasty and "chinotze" of the Sung Dynasty, no sample of which can, however, at present be found.
During the Sung Dynasty notes were extensively printed with no adequate reserve for the issuance. Paper notes were found every- where, for buying daily necessities, paying taxes, and defraying public expenses, in fact, for all sorts of purposes until the value of notes dropped to about one
per cent. The ill effect of the notes, however, did not become serious as the" de- nomination was limited to the "Kwan" or one thousand cash only.
Mr. Hu said that in the ancient days China was essentially an agri- cultural country, consequently the principal assets of the people were farming implements. In the pro- cess of bartering, implements such as shovels, spades, etc., formed the principal medium of exchange. "Tsan Pl," or shovel currency, was therefore the earliest type of cur- rehey known, the coin being in the shape of a shovel. This was fol- lowed by "Dau Pi," or knife cur- During the Chin Dynasty, about reacy, the coin being in the shape the beginning of the thirteenth cen- of a knife, another of the most tury notes with denominations such commonly used. implementa for as one hundred, four hundred, one harvesting grain and for general thousand "Kwan," or one million uay. One end of the coin was a cash, were issued. Ten years later. round ended handle with a hole in the value of the notes dropped to
the centre to facilitate tying to auch an extent that notes with ag- gether and the other end a knifegregated face value of 120 million blade. This explains why the "Kwan," or 120 billion cash, were Chinese character "L" standing worth only one tael of sycee! The for profit is composed of two char- modern mark and rouble, therefore, acters knife and a grain, and also had nothing on China!
THE CHINA MAIL SPECIAL TOURISTS' SUPPLEMENT.
-
Squeeze Stopped.
Ming Dynasty.
ing the first part of the Manchu taxed amount could be paid in owned property worth 50 to 60 During the Yuan Dynasty, about Dynasty. The military operation notes. Even for this the public dia millions! 1280, a certain ampant of reserve against the Tai Ping Rebellion dur- not want to accept notes Officials was provided for the fasue of notes. ing 1860 necessitated the printing tried to doctor, the issue and mor- had bought back the notes at a fix- It was not until the Government Consequently the currency system of notes both in tael and in cash. chants manipulated the exchange of ed price that this system of aquecze was greatly improved, Toward the The relative values of the notes notes to get profit. The value of from these manipulations stopped. end of the Dynasty, however, owing wore so fixed that 200 cash would notes dropped. Foreign merchants Since the introduction to extensive military operations, so be equivalent to one tael in notes. on the other hand bought the notes banking, more emphasis was laid of 'modern many notes were issued that notes The Government banks at Amoy, at 4 great discount to pay the per- on the reserve, the printing, and with the face value of 50 taels Foochow and Tientsin were first to centage of import taxes
allowed issuance. would not buy tea ibs, of rice,
With the exception of circulate these notes. Although by regulation. The Government the panic of 1916 the large Govern- Very few notes were fesued dur- the notes were supposed to be legal bureaux had to accept. It was said ment Bank notes were seldom quot ing the Ming Dynasty and the only tender, even the Government tax that, principally through these ed at a discount. samples-left were printed during bureaux were unwilling to accept manipulations, one clerk in the the Hung Wu period.
BIRD LIFE.
Hong Kong's Fast Vanishing Fauna,
in the British Isles or on the con- Every person who has travelled
tinent of Europe and then visited China and Japan notices the great difference in quantity in the bird fauna. Japan is even worse than China; it is practically destitute of birds. When on a walking tour
them. Then the Government had Ministry of Finance, while having In behalf of the Club for his ad-daye and covering varying types of Rotarian Young thanked Mr. Huin Japan extending over twelve There were no notes issued dur-to fix a percentage at which the on official salary of 30 or 40 taels,, dress.
UNION
CHURCH
PARADE GACUND
FILTER BEDS
00000
CRICKET
GROUND
MAVAL YARD
VICTORIA
RECREATION
L ப.
TOURISTS MAP OF HONG KONG.
GREENHOUSES
PUBLIC GARDENS,
CATHOLIC KATHRE
LLEGE
ITALIAN CONVENT
COVERNMENT
STPAULS COALECE
\VICTORIA, GADL
GLOUNG
BANKS
O
XOWLOON
H
CENTRAL
STATION
E
N
CE
AD
A
8
QUEHA COLLECE
U
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country the present writer once wrote down a list of all the differ- ent species of birda met with. They amounted to sixteen different species and not too many in- dividuala aven of thosel Shortly afterwards when at home in Ireland a similar test was made: more than thirty species were seen a single afternoon without moving more than 100 yards from the house.
on
To persons who have any real interest in nature birds and wild flowers form the great joys of the countryside. Their absence or their disappearance is an un- speakable and irreparable loss. The countryside in China and Japan is in this reapect a blank compared with the British Isles,
The question naturally arises, what has caused this great dis appearance of bird life? And if so, can anything be done to pre- vent their extermination? It is extremely difficult to say with cor- tainty that any given species of birds is on the decrease. No one really makes a sufficiently careful count of all the species each year to be able to give an absolutely definite answer.
But about Hong Kong and especially in the New Territory there seems to be good evidence that most species are on the de- crease. If the bird lover reviewS bla experiences of the last sixteen or twenty years he must realiac the growing scarcity of many species. Ten or fifteen years ago he knew of ΠΟΡΟ places where the beautiful Kingsfisher (Halcyon Smyrnensis)
used to breed regularly; or places where the tailor bird (sutovia sutovia) was a regular and constant visitor and breeder; or the haunts of the Oriole; or flats where the White Egret was abundant. These birds may be seen still but they seem to be becoming decidedly less abun- dant.
There are many causes for this gradual disappearance of these and other birds. The Island and the New Territory 2r0 being steadily opened up: new road and paths have becn constructed, motor-boat, steam launch and motor car have made many places easy of access which, fifteen years ago, were the reward of keen and good (Continued on Page 4.)
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