China, the Middle Kingdom, was embroiled in many internal and external conflicts in the 19th century, which meant that the 13th Dalai Lama was able to guide the central Asian region of Tibet to independence without Chinese intervention. His reform efforts led to a modernisation of the country. One of the areas to be affected was the monetary system, where he had banknotes issued along the lines of the British-Indian model. The notes were produced using the letterpress printing process and had three layers. The third layer was inscribed and inserted as a security feature between the obverse and reverse sides of the banknote, which were printed separately. When held against the light, this produces a security effect comparable to a watermark. 

[Data record ID: 65571]