Mao Zedong money raises eyebrows: rare error means Chinese leader has two left eyebrows on 100-yuan banknote
Resident in Shandong province, who spotted mistake after being given genuine banknote by his local bank, told its rarity means it could be sold for up to 1.5 million yuan (HK$1.8 million)
A Chinese man who withdrew a newly issued 100-yuan (HK$120) banknote with the watermark of Mao Zedong’s face from his local bank was stunned to see the former leader had two left eyebrows, mainland media reports.
The resident of Kenli county, in Shandong province, was told that the banknote, although genuine, featured a rare printing mistake, which agents said could mean it had a resale value of up to 1.5 million yuan, Qilu Evening News reported.
Read more: Mao money, Mao problems: China’s cash machines ‘snub’ new hi-tech 100-yuan notes
He was surprised that when he looked closely at the watermark of Mao on the left-hand side of the banknote, he saw that Mao had two distinct left eyebrows.
The man posted photographs of the banknote on mainland social media, and then visited another bank, along with a reporter from his local newspaper, to check on the banknote’s authenticity.
He was told the money was a genuine 100-yuan banknote, the newspaper reported.
