1371 Banknote found in head"

[Dave N Japan]

The Chinese characters on the crumpled banknote show that it was issued in the third year of the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty – or 1371 in the Western calendar. The inscriptions also warn would-be counterfeiters that they face the penalty of death by beheading.
The 645-year-old banknote was found hidden inside a wooden sculpture of the head of a "luohan," a religious figure from Chinese Buddhism, that may once have stood in a family or public temple, said Paul Sumner, chief executive of Mossgreen's Auctions in Melbourne, Australia, which discovered the note.

You just never know where you will find something" Anyone else find something nice in a strage place?

 

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[JasoninIowa]

Very cool, I wonder what the oldest paper currency still in existence is? 645 years is a long time for paper to hang on.

 

[Mackaydon]

Jason,
Google says "Paper bills were first used by the Chinese, who started carrying folding money during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907)."
No doubt some museum has an example of those bills.
Don.....

 

[Blak bart]

It totally blows my mind to think that a piece of paper 645 years old has made it to us intact. That is super cool dave , thanks for sharing that with us. Pretty amazing that it hadnt turned to dust by now. Not to mention that its so beautiful that its like a piece of art !!! I guess writing was an artform back then . Although the head is also a wotk of art its a little creepy looking!!!

 

[kingskid1611]

I would imagine its not like the paper we are aware of but maybe some other substance. Like onion paper or something. That would be cool to find.