• Imperial Chinese Railways Currency & Banknote Values

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Values / World Currency / China Regional Banks: North / Imperial Chinese Railways

The Imperial Chinese Railways series of China Regional Banks: North in the World Currency contains 12 distinct entries. Imperial Chinese Railways (ICR) issues are the first Chinese banknotes produced by a foreign printer, namely Barclay & Fry of London. They are also the first Chinese notes

The Imperial Chinese Railways series of China Regional Banks: North in the World Currency contains 12 distinct entries.

Imperial Chinese Railways (ICR) issues are the first Chinese banknotes produced by a foreign printer, namely Barclay & Fry of London. They are also the first Chinese notes with a Western format and design. The Chinese issuer name, 北洋鐵軌官路總局, translates as “Beiyang Railroad Office General Administration of Railroads,” Beiyang (Northern Ocean) being the coastal area of what was formerly Zhili province, now Hebei province. These notes circulated in areas outside Hebei and thus are considered national issues.

While the English translation of the issuing agency remained

unchanged, the Chinese issuer name has changed to 山海關内外鐵

路局, which translates as “Shanhaiguan Inner and Outer Railroad

Office,” Shanhaiguan being a major pass at the extreme eastern end

of the Great Wall of China in modern Hebei province. Like the

preceding issues, these notes circulated in areas outside Hebei and

thus are considered national issues.

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1929 $10 Type 2 (Fr. 1801-2)

Auction Ends: 5/19/2026

1881-O $1 MS

Auction Ends: 6/9/2026

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