People's Republic - China National Tea Corporation "Tea Money" Brick of 30-1/2 Ounces ND (1949-1951/2) AU/UNC (Edge Cracking), Opitz-pg. 338 (this piece illustrated). 228x174x26mm. 864.7gm. Two rows of characters along the top of the brick, reading "Guo Ying" (Nationalized Company) and "Zhongguo Chaye Gongsi Zhi" (made by China National Tea Corporation); company logo in center, below "Mi Zhuan" (Rice Brick) / Perforated into 16 blank panels. A very neat brick, appearing highly original save for some cracking along the edges of brick, perhaps indicating a slightly lower production quality than with the earlier Russo-Chinese bricks. A very interesting piece, likely among the earlier productions of the China National Tea Corporation, made prior to the mass-produced "gate"-type pieces. Although Opitz indicates that Communist China first started producing tea bricks after 1949, the China National Tea Company, a joint enterprise between the Chinese government, bankers, and tea merchants aimed at resuscitating the Chinese tea industry, was founded in May 1937. The company logo seen here was used until 1951/2, when it was switched to the well-known Zhong Cha logo. From the Charles J. Opitz Collection

HID09801242017

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