Ancient China Notes
An English-language education site on the history of Chinese paper money, from Tang-era jiaozi to the Da Ming Baochao.
Visit ancientchinanotes.com
About Ancient China Notes
Ancient China Notes covers the history of Chinese paper money — the first civilisation to use it, centuries before Europe. It traces the line from Tang-era merchant certificates through jiaozi notes to the Da Ming Baochao, written for English-speaking collectors and history readers. Rather than selling, it works as a reference: a dynasty-by-dynasty timeline, a specimen gallery, and guides for new collectors.
What's on the site
How paper money developed from one dynasty to the next.
Specimens with notes on origin and period.
In-depth guides for collectors and history readers.
The background and scope of the project.
Highlights
- Occupies a historical niche rarely treated seriously in English, so competition is thin.
- The timeline gives a chronological frame, the easiest shape for historical material to be read in.
- Treated as a reference rather than a shop window — the kind of page other sites link to unprompted.
- Educational-organisation structured data in place, matching what the site actually is.
Site scale
Data as of 11 Agustus 2026.
- Pages in sitemap
- 7
Technology
Structured data in place
You can check this yourself via view-source on ancientchinanotes.com.
Common questions
What does Ancient China Notes cover?
The history of Chinese paper money — from Tang-era merchant certificates and jiaozi notes through to the Da Ming Baochao — presented as a timeline, a specimen gallery, and English-language guides.
Who is the site for?
English-speaking collectors of historical currency and readers of history looking for a trustworthy reference, not buyers.
Why does Chinese paper money matter in monetary history?
Because China was the first civilisation to use paper as a means of payment, centuries before comparable practice appeared in Europe.
Want a site like this?
Ancient China Notes was built by KayFreyTech, from design through launch.