1913 Chinese Government 5% Reorganization Gold Bond 505 Francs 43 Coupons

Description

1913 Chinese Government 5% Reorganization Gold Bond 505 Francs 43 Coupons.
Serial number: 531094
The bond is in very fine condition and does not appear to have any folds or tears. The edges show a little darkening from age.
Beautifully engraved bond certificate from the
Chinese Government
issued in 1913. This historic document has an ornate border around it with vignettes of an allegorical man, workers in field and hillside structure next to water. It is over 109 years old
.
The Chinese Government 5% Reorganisation Gold Loan of 1913 Bond for RM 511, (20£ ,409 Marks, 189.4 Rubles, 195.92 Yen). The bond is written in four languages; English, German, French and Russian. Russo-Asiatic Bank.
The following is from "Historic Foreign Bonds of China by John M. Thomson just published 2012. The Reorgansation Gold Loan of 1913 was for the capital sum of £25,000,000. The loan was authorised by Presidential Order of 22nd April, 1913 officially communicated by the Wai Chiao Pu to the Ministers in Peking of Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, and Japan. (The Wai Chiao Pu was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of the Republic of China). The newly appointed President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shih Kai initially approached Britain, France, Germany, and United States of America seeking a substantial loan to assist the fledgling government of the Republic of China. Later this group was expanded to include Japan and Russia, but eventually the U.S. withdrew from participation, leaving five countries which agreed to assist the Chinese Government with financial aid. The principal financial institutions which participated in the loan arrangements were the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, Deuthsch-Asiatiche Bank, Banque de l'Indo Chine, and Russian Asiatic Bank. The Yokohama Specie Bank participated on behalf of Japan, but did not issue separate bonds, countersigned by the bank. Arrangements were made as to convertibility into Japnanese Yen of the bearer bonds issued to by other four issuing banks. The banks all received 6% commission for handling this loan and the capital amounts allocated to each bank together with bonds issued are detailed in the data below: Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp. £7,416,000 Deutsch-Asicatiche Bank £6,000,000 Banque de l"Indo-Chine £7,416,660 Russian Asiatic Bank £2,777,780 Russian Asiatic Bank (Belgium) £1,388,880 Purpose of the Gold Reorganization Loan The purpose of the loan was to enable the new government of the Republic of China to meet financial liabilities inherited from the previous Chinese Imperial Government, for the reorganization of government institutions and to meet the administrative cost
This particular bond was a gift from the Merrill Lynch High Yield Group to a portfolio manager in 1983 and has the original card with the message "Merrill Lynch High Yield Group Thanks you for your patronage and support throughout 1983".