Banque Industrielle de Chine - 1920 Fully Issued Chinese Banking Stock Certificate

Large vignette of city and mountains. Extremely ornate gateway border with dragons. Forbidden City building at center. Ornate coupons. Superb!! Also available unissued at a lesser price. Please inquire if interested.

The Banque Industrielle de Chine, a French bank primarily operating in China and French Indochina, was established in 1913 and experienced rapid expansion. However, its activities were suspended in 1921 due to the political climate in China, resulting in a political controversy in France. Despite this setback, the Franco-Chinese Bank continued its operations in China until the 1950s and in Indochina until the 1970s.

From the late 19th century, the Banque de l’Indochine was entrusted by the French government with the responsibility of supporting French commercial, industrial, and strategic interests in China. Nevertheless, its conservative stance encountered criticism within French official circles, as it was perceived as less dynamic compared to its British and German counterparts, particularly the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank. In a December 13, 1905, internal Foreign Ministry note, diplomat Philippe Berthelot, who would subsequently become the ministry’s head of Asian affairs in 1907, advocated for the establishment of a new institution that would assume the existing Chinese offices of the Banque de l’Indochine and facilitate accelerated French entry into the Chinese market.