50 Cents Quemoy

The Quemoy (Kinmen) supplementary currency series was issued specifically for use on the offshore islands held by the Republic of China government after its retreat from the mainland in 1949. Restricting currency circulation to the islands was a deliberate administrative measure — standard Bank of Taiwan notes were not legal tender on Quemoy, and vice versa, preventing currency flows that could complicate military logistics or be exploited across the strait.

The R-prefix Pick numbers designate the entire Quemoy regional series. This 50-cent denomination sits at the low end of that series, issued for a garrison economy where small transactions dominated daily life among soldiers and the local civilian population.