拍品描述： CHINA:LOT of 12 long rectangular tokens, bamboo or wood (3) and bronze metal tokens (9), a very interesting group, average quality condition, retail value $250, lot of 12 tokens, ex Charles Opitz Collection. There existed a shortage of official government-issued currency in parts of China with the Qing Dynasty beginning to lose its authority during the late 1800 s and during the turbulent early years of the Republic. To help alleviate this coin shortage, private banks and large businesses began to issue their own form of "money". The problem was especially acute in certain areas of east China from roughly the 1870 s to 1940 s and examples of locally-issued currency from these areas, made of metal, were produced. However, another form of local currency that was particular to the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong provinces of east China was made not from metal or paper but from bamboo. This type of money is variously known as "bamboo tallies", "bamboo tokens" or "bamboo money" and was commonly used in such establishments as stores, restaurants, teahouses, and even brothels. Bamboo does not have the intrinsic value of gold, silver or bronze coins. Additionally, bamboo tallies were not backed by any reserves of gold or silver. Bamboo tallies are a form of "token" currency which relies on "trust." This means that the people had to have faith that the issuing banks and merchants would stand behind this type of money.