Bank of Hell 50,000,000 dollar banknotes, from set of funerary offerings

These Bank of Hell notes, bought from a funerary goods supplier in Singapore, are from a boxed set of paper and cardboard offerings for a man. The offerings represent symbolic possessions for the afterlife, including various currency forms for bribes.

These paper banknotes are all 50,000,000 dollar notes, although they come in three sizes. They bear a passing resemblance to real banknotes, but the person represented on them is one of the Judges of Hell.

These symbolic possessions are burned in a night-time Daoist funerary ceremony, several weeks after the deceased's cremation. It is a widespread contemporary tradition in south-east Asia. The cardboard items are burned to ensure a comfortable afterlife.

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Online ID:	000-190-004-218-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland K.1999.1241
Date:	1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999
Material:	Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note Paper; ink, red, green and black; printed. Inscription: Hell Bank Note
Dimensions:	88 mm L x 190 mm W 88 mm L x 190 mm W 88 mm L x 190 mm W 88 mm L x 190 mm W 88 mm L x 190 mm W 88 mm L x 190 mm W
What:	Bank note Bank note Bank note Bank note Bank note Bank note
Subject:	Paper offering Paper offering Paper offering Paper offering Paper offering Paper offering
Who:
Where:	Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore
Event:
Description:	"Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999 "Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999 "Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999 "Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999 "Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999 "Hell Bank note" of paper, printed in red, green and black ink, part of paper offerings for a man, which would be burnt at the graveside as an offering for ancestors: Singapore, 1999
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