prosperous age

"Yes, I'm very satisfied."

Wei Guangde smiled and said.

"This seal will be used as the official seal for the money shop."

What about the others?

"Bring them all out so I can see them."

Wei Guangde continued to give instructions.

Zhang Ji bent down and took out another iron frame from a small box under him.

Upon seeing this, Wei Guangde immediately put the seal aside and moved the sheet of Xuan paper aside to make room.

Zhang Ji carefully placed the iron frame on the desk, then went back to the box and took out a few sheets of paper and a copper seal.

Wei Guangde examined the iron frame; it had a wooden base and a ring of iron blades around its perimeter.

There's another iron frame on top of the shelf, and a wooden board with a hollow center and an iron groove. This is for holding the seal.

Wei Guangde reached out and lifted the top of the iron frame, which was like a guillotine, with a support to hold it in place.

As Zhang Ji returned with the paper, he placed a specially made sheet of paper on the wooden board.

Wei Guangde picked up a piece of paper next to him and carefully squeezed it; it was thicker and harder than Xuan paper.

"Sir, these are the highest quality mulberries selected."

Zhang Ji said in a low voice.

"Are you looking for the Bureau of Treasury Paper Money?"

Wei Guangde asked.

"Yes."

Zhang Ji answered in a low voice.

Mulberry bark, the second layer of bark on the mulberry tree, is white in color and of excellent quality, making it a superior raw material for ancient papermaking.

This raw material was widely used in the papermaking industry during the Ming Dynasty. Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" records that paper made from paper mulberry bark, mulberry pulp, and hibiscus membrane can be made from paper. It also specifically mentions that Yongjia Juanjiang paper was made from mulberry pulp and the resulting paper was solid.

However, in fact, before the early Ming Dynasty, mulberry bark had already been used as a raw material for making paper, which was also called mulberry bark paper.

Mulberry bark paper is a handmade paper made from mulberry bark. It is light yellow in color, and the finest paper shows a clear fibrous structure.

Originating in the Han Dynasty, it is characterized by its flexibility, insect resistance, and fold resistance. It is widely used in the mounting of calligraphy and paintings, the restoration of classic books, and can also be used to make umbrellas, package Chinese medicine, make fans, and briefly used to print local currency.

Paper is divided into four grades according to quality, with grades one and two being high-grade paper for calligraphy and painting.

The paper used for the Ming Dynasty's paper money was made primarily from mulberry leaves.

This paper is bluish-gray or light blue in color and is strictly controlled by the government to prevent counterfeiting.

During the Ming Dynasty, official documents were generally printed on this type of mulberry bark paper because it was difficult for ordinary people to obtain, thus making forgery very unlikely.

The paper Zhang Ji found was of the highest quality, even better.

Of course, it's impossible for the average person to obtain such paper.

As for this set of things, it naturally refers to the paper money used in the money shop later on.

To prevent counterfeiting, a lot of technology must be used.

The paper in Wei Guangde's hand already had a faint light gray background.

The wooden planks on the frame were also carved with a pattern, but about half of the area in the middle was left blank to overprint other text and notes.

"Print one out for me to see."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Yes."

Zhang Ji took out a small ceramic jar from the box, dipped a brush in ink, and applied it to the two wooden boards before putting the paper back in place and pressing it down.

Only the bronze seal that had been taken out earlier was placed on the iron trough, and the pressure bar on the iron trough was pressed down again.

As the two layers of sealing strips are opened and pulled up one by one, the paper placed in the middle is printed with patterns on both sides.

The patterns on both sides are also carefully designed, requiring the engraver to carve them meticulously without making the slightest mistake.

It was only then that Wei Guangde noticed the printed banknote. The iron blades around it had cut the paper to a fixed size, and it also had perforations similar to those on later oil coupons.

Undoubtedly, in such overprinting equipment, there must be some kind of connection between the serrations and the patterns.

To prevent this, one must obtain a set of wooden boards and an iron frame that can be printed with a perfect fit.

If you only carry money and tickets for protection, it will be very troublesome.

The printed banknotes can only be considered as samples now. Wei Guangde examined them carefully and found that the patterns were very clear. The bright red seal in the center of the banknotes read "Da Ming Qian Zhuang" (Great Ming Bank).

The sample ticket has a serial number and a bank number, which record the number of the banknote issued and the serial number of the banknote for easy retrieval.

The amount on the banknotes is written in Chinese characters in a fixed position within a box.

Zhang Ji whispered to himself that they had asked someone from the Treasury of Paper Money to design this banknote.

Wei Guangde had many requirements: besides being aesthetically pleasing and grand, the most important thing was anti-counterfeiting.

"Because there are no official documents from the imperial court, a blank line is left here."

According to the design, there should be another line of text here: "The Ministry of Revenue has approved the printing of Ming Dynasty bank drafts; counterfeiters will be beheaded, and those who report and arrest them will be rewarded with 250 taels of silver, which will also be returned to the criminals."

"Yes, of course there will be."

Both the palace and the imperial court held shares in the counterfeiting of Ming Dynasty banknotes, which was considered the same crime as counterfeiting paper money.

Wei Guangde nodded and said.

Just kidding. In the future, the Ming Dynasty's money shops will be printing paper money. Once the money shops have sufficient reserves and public credit is established, that will be the case.

In the beginning, money shops definitely dealt in real gold and silver.

Once the system was perfected, the provincial treasuries would have sufficient gold and silver reserves, and they would try to release fixed-denomination banknotes from the Ming Dynasty's money shops into the market, such as precious paper money.

The banknotes issued by the money shops must be redeemable for silver and copper coins; otherwise, the business will be disrupted.

Once the people gradually trust the money shops, that will be the time when they can truly make huge profits without any investment.

Money shops don't need to worry too much about gold and silver reserves when lending money; instead, they turn paper into money and circulate it in the market—similar to the Federal Reserve's approach.

This money will become the bank's debt, and the bank's bills will generate interest for the bank every moment.

"It's basically the same as the paper money system."

Although Wei Guangde was fairly satisfied with the sample ticket made by Zhang Ji, at least the design was good, he still felt it was lacking.

The anti-counterfeiting measures of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money actually relied mainly on the authority of the government.

The Ming Dynasty paper money employs a triple anti-counterfeiting technology. The first is raw material control, which limits the use of mulberry bark from places like Zhejiang for papermaking.

Secondly, the engraving technique is used for anti-counterfeiting, with intricate and complex border patterns, which is currently the most important anti-counterfeiting method.

Zhang Ji selected several skilled craftsmen to carefully design and carve this template, and even incorporated their own habits and secret marks.

The third layer is the multi-seal system, which requires multiple stages of stamping, including the seal of the head office of the Ming Dynasty Bank, the seal of its branches, and the seal of the person in charge.

In addition, warnings must be clearly marked on the banknotes in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Law of the Ming Dynasty.

This is actually the most effective means of preventing counterfeiting of banknotes and coins.

Once caught, the perpetrator will be beheaded, and the informant will be richly rewarded.

"We still need to find more ways to improve the paper and pigments, and strive for perfection."

Although the money exchange initially focused on drafts, and both branches received notifications, what if someone used our drafts as payment, and those drafts turned out to be counterfeit? Wouldn't that damage the money exchange's reputation?

Wei Guangde spoke up.

In fact, this is also a problem that already exists in the Ming Dynasty, such as using pawn tickets and membership tickets to settle accounts or to bribe.

However, these tickets can only be redeemed at the pawnshop or merchant that issued them, so the merchants will certainly not suffer any losses.

But the person who accepts the bill may not be so sure.

Of course, those who are willing to accept bills are usually quite familiar with the other party, but similar lawsuits have occurred before.

These kinds of cases are very troublesome to try because you have no idea at which stage someone swapped the real ticket for a fake one and then used it to commit fraud.

"Sir, I've heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard uses a special kind of embossed paper for important documents to prevent counterfeiting."

Zhang Ji suddenly said.

"Painting?"

Wei Guangde was taken aback, then asked, "Tell me in detail."

"I don't know how they did it, but the paper is said to be translucent, and you can see the dark patterns on it, which could be flowers, birds, insects, fish, or other things."

Zhang Ji said in a low voice, "However, this method is highly confidential. I have only heard it mentioned by a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and I have never seen the real thing."

"is it?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Guangde roughly understood what it was.

This technology is nothing special in later generations; it's just the "watermark" commonly used on banknotes.

Although that thing was common, Wei Guangde really didn't know how it was made.

After all, every adult carries banknotes, which are the most common anti-counterfeiting measures on banknotes.

I'll ask about it tomorrow.

Wei Guangde thought for a moment, then nodded and said.

It might not be appropriate for Zhang Ji to inquire about this matter.

After all, it was something the Embroidered Uniform Guard did, so they probably had some idea of ​​what it was all about.

Wei Guangde planned to ask Liu Shouyou directly; he should know.

After all, it's something used for transmitting intelligence.

The next morning, after handling some paperwork in his duty room, Wei Guangde summoned Lu Bu and asked him to invite Liu Shouyou.

About half an hour later, Liu Shouyou appeared in the duty room, and Wei Guangde began to ask about the burnished paper.

"Your Excellency, the paper you mentioned is used for important intelligence within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and we are worried that it might be forged."

Regarding the specific manufacturing process, I would need to inquire further, but the paper was actually made by artisans in the palace; no more than two people know the details.

Liu Shouyou dared not hide anything and whispered about the origin of the burnished paper.

It is said that this craft was originally developed by a craftsman from Jiangnan. Because it was a strange and ingenious skill, the palace found it very interesting and thus included it in the palace.

However, the skills of ancient craftsmen were mostly passed down through families.

The craftsman's invention would naturally be passed down to his son, generation after generation.

So the craftsman and his descendants were kept in the palace as craftsmen, making things for nobles.

"Lubu, go and invite Eunuch Zhang Hong over. Tell him I have something important to discuss with him."

When Wei Guangde heard that this craft was actually in the palace, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could only request an imperial decree to have the craftsman make the paper they needed, so he immediately gave the order.

When Zhang Hong arrived, Wei Guangde brought up the matter again. Zhang Hong frowned slightly and said, "Chief Minister Wei, what do you need this paper for?"

Wei Guangde remained calm and handed Zhang Hong the sample ticket he had made the night before.

Zhang Hong already knew about this matter, since the emperor entrusted Zhang Hong with the task of checking his private treasury and how much cash was in the imperial treasury.

Zhang Hong was very clever. After taking the money note and looking at its design, he guessed Wei Guangde's plan.

"You want burnishing patterns on this paper?"

"exactly."

The two exchanged questions and answers, but Zhang Hong frowned slightly and said, "Speaking of this skill, it is indeed available in the palace."

However, this is paper used for His Majesty's calligraphy, as well as paper for copying confidential documents in the palace; these are all imperial items.

Wei Guangde smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, His Majesty's approval is required?"

"Even if His Majesty agrees, how much of this paper do you need? The usage will probably be quite substantial."

Zhang Hong, still frowning, said...

"That's a problem."

Wei Guangde understood; this matter was indeed difficult to handle.

It's a craft passed down from father to son; it would be difficult to get him to teach more apprentices.

If only two people know how to do it, how much of this paper can they produce in a day?

Wei Guangde intended to use this paper to print banknotes. Perhaps if the father and son worked at full capacity, they could meet the demand for banknotes, but they couldn't print enough banknotes.

"Could I see them?"

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Let's ask for permission first, since it's an item for imperial use."

"His Majesty has given his permission. I'll know what to do next."

Zhang Hong said.

So Wei Guangde and Zhang Hong went into the Qianqing Palace together.

After examining the banknotes, the emperor inquired about Wei Guangde's progress and ordered the imperial paper from the study to be brought over. Wei Guangde took a look and indeed found a watermark.

It's opaque, so you can't see the joint inside the paper at all.

"Your Majesty, this method is of great use to the banknotes issued by the money shops. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow the money shops to use this type of paper to print banknotes."

Upon seeing the actual item, Wei Guangde immediately pleaded.

"Approved."

Emperor Wanli agreed quickly and immediately expressed his opinion.

However, he immediately said to Wei Guangde, "Master Wei, we need to speed up the matter of the Ming Dynasty Bank. We've been talking about it for so long."

As you said, the earliest we can finish preparing is next month, which is too slow.

Emperor Wanli seemed to be full of ambition to make money. If he didn't know, he might not have, but once he did, he couldn't resist the urge.

Later on, they were capable of anything to enrich the imperial treasury, so they absolutely wouldn't miss a good opportunity to make money now.

"I will urge you to finish this matter as soon as possible."

However, Your Majesty, this matter concerns the entire Ming Dynasty, both north and south, and must be handled with a holistic perspective in mind.

Wei Guangde could only explain.

Although it's possible to first establish money shops in the capital, surrounding areas, and Nanjing, and then gradually expand to the surrounding regions, the results are still somewhat lacking.

With the imperial court's permission, Wei Guangde felt it best for all prefectures and cities across the country to open for business at the same time, so that outsiders would know that the Great Ming Bank had an extraordinary background, thus preventing any foolish locals from causing trouble.

At the Imperial Workshop, Wei Guangde met the craftsmen and also saw the method of making this paper.

The craftsman will first carve the desired pattern onto the hardwood board. The pattern can be landscape, flowers and birds, figures, or cloud patterns.

Afterwards, the hardwood mold is burned onto tough parchment paper with wax.

After calendering, the thinner patterned areas of the paper become more translucent, revealing clear and delicate dark patterns under light, creating a soft, shadow-like three-dimensional effect.

The key is actually in the burnishing process; if you don't master it, the final paper quality will be greatly compromised.

The craftsmen around here all know how to do this, but the key is that they can't do it well.

"I need a lot of this paper, is there any way to do that?"

Whether it's exclusive or not, Wei Guangde doesn't care; what matters is that others can't imitate it.

However, the large volume of usage is the biggest problem, as it affects the money shop's future income.

"Okay, make me a batch first, and I'll give you the pattern later."

Following Zhang Hong, Wei Guangde then made his demands.

Let's solve the paper issue for drafts first. With this skill, the money exchange's drafts will be safe in the short term. (End of Chapter)