Shanxi Jinshang Draft Magnetic Fridge Magnet + Postcard

Shanxi drafts were a form of inter-regional payment certificate created by Shanxi merchants (Jinshang) during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Their origins can be traced back to the "Feiqian" (flying money) of the Tang Dynasty. These drafts relied on a network of remittance shops to facilitate cross-regional capital circulation, covering domestic areas as well as Russia, Japan, and other regions, forming a comprehensive exchange system.

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Shanxi pigment merchants pioneered the establishment of remittance shops. The Rishengchang Remittance Shop in Pingyao, with nearly a hundred branches, focused its core business on exchange. The drafts utilized specialized paper, were handwritten by designated personnel, incorporated secret codes, and were managed with multiple anti-counterfeiting seals. The borders of the drafts were often adorned with patterns such as the Eight Immortals, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, and multiple types of seals were stamped to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures. In the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, institutions such as money houses and silver shops also conducted exchange business, with standardized procedures: after the remitter submitted the funds, the remittance shop would issue a three-part draft. After numbering and verification with seals, the draft would be cashed by the payee in a different location. Existing artifacts, such as the three-part draft from the "Yongshunchang" money house, reflect the maturity of the Qing Dynasty's exchange mechanism.