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....and now for a completely different front end for Front End Friday

China Bank of Communications - 5 Yuan note from 1914

China_Bank_of_Communications_5Yuan

  

The bank was formed in 1908 for the expressed purpose of purchasing the Bejing-Hankou Railway from its Belgian owners and making it a Chinese railway system.   The name of the bank is in English on the back of the bill.  At the time one of the definitions of the word “communications” meant the connection of two places by a means of transportation. At some later point in time the bank could have changed its name to China Bank of Transportation to keep up with the evolving definition of the word "communication" but they didn't.

  Up until sometime in the early 1930’s the notes were printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York and the use of an engraving of a front end view of a very obviously American style steam locomotive along with American style surroundings was something that appeared on several of the bank's currency denominations over the years.  In the 1930’s a British firm won the contract for printing the Communications Bank bills and the steam locomotives on the currency transitioned from American outline to British.

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