580 DAVIS. 



Notes of Shih-tsu * (1260-1294 A.D.) of the Yuan Dynasty. 



In the twenty-fourth year of the Chih-yuan Era (1287 A.D.), the 

 Chih-yiian Treasure-Notes were emitted. The same were distributed 

 to the world and used side by side with the Ch'iian-ch'ao-ch'ien f of 

 the Chung-tung Era (1260-1263 A.D.). The Chih-yiian Treasure- 

 Note of the denomination one kwan was considered the equivalent 

 of five kwan-worth of Ch'iian-ch'ao-ch'ien, the standard and the sub- 

 sidiary being interchangeable.! Generally, 1000 wen in cash were 

 equal to one kwan, and naturally a note whose face value was one 

 kwan was equivalent to 1000 wen in cash. 



There are two sizes of the Chih-yiian note, — the lesser and the 

 greater. Among the former are the denominations 10, 20, 30, 40 and 

 50 cash, and among the latter 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500. There is 

 beside these a one kwan note, making a total of eleven varieties. 

 The border designs and the size of each sheet vary according to the 

 denomination. The color of the notes is gray. 



Plate 99. Chih-yuan (1264-1294 A.D.) Note. 



Translation of the inscriptions. 

 Lesser Note. 



First line: "Great Yiian General Circulation Treasure-Note." 



Second line: " Ten Copper ** Cash." 



Illustration: (Pictorial representation of one string of cash). 



At the right of the illustration in the seal style: 



" Chih-yuan Treasure-Note. ' ' 



* Kublai Khan, who ascended the throne in 1260 and established the Ching- 

 tsung Era, which lasted three years, when the name was changed to Chih- 

 yiian (1264-1294). K. T. 



t A substitute money: a medal with a square hole in the center, resembling 

 the regular Chinese coin, and representing various denominations. K. T. 



% In the original text, this last phrase reads, literally, "equivalence of child 

 and mother". "Mother" (the standard or principal) refers to the notes, 

 while "child" (subsidiary or substitute) refers to specie, as the author explains 

 elsewhere in the original text. At different periods the cases were reversed, 

 i. e., the "Mother" meant specie and the "Child" paper. Whenever one, 

 whether specie or notes, was considered the standard and more valuable than 

 the other, it was referred to as the " Mother ". K. T. 

 ** Or "Bronze " : a minor coin. K. T. 



