Ming Zuo

Chapter 1271 Banknotes
The establishment of the bank was unanimously approved by all.

Everyone knows the importance of banks and the huge benefits involved.

For a while, everyone was thinking.

Zuo Menggeng saw everyone's expressions and simply took the initiative.

"Let Chen Xiang come back from Songjiang Mansion and supervise this matter."

Everyone present looked stunned, and then relieved.

Banking is a major national event, and it is obvious that it must be controlled by the central government.But who exactly should supervise is particularly important.

Without waiting for everyone to discuss, Zuo Menggeng directly transferred Chen Zhi back from Songjiang Mansion.

Chen Zhijiu sits in Songjiang Mansion and has been deeply involved in various aspects such as economy and foreign trade. He is considered an expert in related fields.

He also has the deepest understanding of currency.

It is obviously more confident that such a person is responsible for the establishment of the bank.

If anyone here could not accept this decision, it must be Zuo Xiang.

"Your Highness, currency and banks must be involved in the economic field, and it is only appropriate for our Ministry of Finance to entrust them to them."

Zuo Menggeng glanced at him and directly vetoed it.

"The work of the Ministry of Finance is already very heavy, and it is not appropriate to add more burdens to you. Moreover, although the Central Bank is not a deployment agency, its importance is self-evident, and it must be directly under the control of the cabinet."

These remarks are tantamount to cutting off the possibility of the Ministry of Finance getting involved in the banking industry.

There is an obvious sense of balance behind this.

Everyone present can taste it.

It's nothing to do with me, I think it should be so.

Those who are interested in all have ugly faces.

Zuo Menggeng could feel it, but he didn't care.

In national government affairs, the overall situation is the most important thing, and personal emotions must be put aside.

Chen Zhi quickly rushed back from Songjiang Mansion, and mobilized many people to start the preparation of the bank.

And in this process, the most important thing is currency.

Whether there is a qualified and easy-to-use currency that can take on heavy responsibilities is the fundamental basis for the promotion of the new financial system.

As for how the currency should be minted, not even Chen Zhi could be involved in it.

"Your Highness, please take a look, this is the currency casting plan we have come up with."

Currency design and manufacturing team, the composition of the members is amazing, and strictly confidential.

No one expected that the leader of this group would be Fei Ruyi.

Besides him, the team members also included Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou, and the other six were all top-notch craftsmen.

Fei Ruyi submitted the initial plan to Zuo Menggeng.

When Zuo Menggeng opened the file to check, he gave a detailed explanation on the side.

"With regard to the materials used for banknotes, after thousands of experiments, we have finally come up with a qualified finished product. Please take a look."

There is a small piece of paper sandwiched between the documents, boxy, about the size of a palm.

The top of the paper was blank, with no patterns on it.But when you hold it in your hand, looking at it in the sunlight, it faintly reflects the halo.

The surface feels very delicate and smooth, as if a layer of wax has been applied.

When the paper shakes, it makes a crisp sound of clicking and clicking, which is completely different from the softness of ordinary paper.

Zuo Menggeng felt carefully that this kind of paper was very similar to the currency of later generations.

Among the documents, he saw the material of the paper.

Fei Ruyi and others actually used a large amount of short-staple cotton and mixed a small amount of wood pulp in the process of experimentation.This kind of paper was obtained through a special process.

Among them, under the process steps, the word "top secret" is marked.

And wood pulp, a common raw material for papermaking, is also particularly different in making money.

This kind of wood pulp comes entirely from fir trees on Sakhalin Island, which is unique in the world.

If other wood is used, even if it is also fir, as long as it is not from Sakhalin Island, the texture of the paper will be very different.

It can be said that this kind of material and craftsmanship basically completely eliminates the possibility of counterfeiting in this era.

Zuo Menggeng was relieved, and looked up at Qian Qianyi, Chen Hongshou and others who were sitting in the distance.

Fei Ruyi understood, and said in a low voice: "Only the officials and a few craftsmen know about the craft and raw materials."

That is to say, even Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou, who are both members of the currency design team, have no idea how banknotes are made.

This is of course for maximum secrecy.

The role of Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou in the process of making banknotes is not reflected in the craftsmanship.

"Your Highness, after several of us researched, banknotes, as things that pass across the country and determine people's livelihood, should be dignified. Therefore, block letters should be the main font."

This is the role of Qian Qianyi.

Although this old man has various defects, he is outstanding in art alone, which can be said to be unique in the world.

Therefore, Zuo Menggeng appointed him to complete the words on the banknotes.

Qian Qianyi also lived up to his expectations, and took out several fonts in one go.After many comparisons, they were used everywhere on the banknotes.

Among them, the font that expresses the value of the banknote and the source of the banknote is a block letter that has no characteristics but has no shortcomings.

Among them, the dark pattern uses Xiaozhuan.

In addition, there is a special anti-counterfeiting mark on the banknotes, which is the oracle bone script.

Through the influence of Zuo Menggeng, oracle bone inscriptions have been discovered hundreds of years in advance by scholars of the Xia Kingdom.Although it has not been completely cracked, it is definitely not something that ordinary people can decipher when it is used in banknotes.

"With regard to the pattern of banknotes, we have researched and unanimously decided that it is best to use His Highness's head portrait. Your Highness is the leader of the country, and using your picture as the banknote logo will definitely be recognized and boost the morale of the soldiers and civilians across the country."

The one responsible for the pattern design of banknotes is the great painter Chen Hongshou.

This guy can also flatter, and even wanted to print Zuo Menggeng's face on the banknotes.

"My land of China is famous for its beautiful mountains and rivers, and there are countless historical sites. Saints and sages have emerged in an endless stream throughout the ages. How can it be my turn to be pretentious? This proposal is rejected, and you can redesign it."

Zuo Menggeng's face was stern and his attitude was firm, he beat back Chen Hongshou's flattery.

Chen Hongshou blushed and was so flustered that he hurriedly agreed, not daring to think of bad ideas anymore.

Seven days later, on behalf of the drafting team, he resubmitted the pattern design of the banknotes to Zuo Menggong.

Sure enough, Zuo Menggeng's head portrait disappeared from the design drawing, and was replaced by Xingsheng landscapes from all over China.

"That's right. The vast majority of ordinary people have never left their homeland in their entire lives. For the famous places in the world, they only exist in what they hear, how can they have the opportunity to see them with their own eyes? Print these good places and beautiful scenery on banknotes. Invisibly, it can also broaden the horizons of the people.”

Zuo Menggeng was very satisfied with the new pattern design.

"Submit it to the cabinet and the Legislative Council for consideration. If the Legislative Council votes to pass it, it will be announced to the whole country immediately."

(End of this chapter)