Recently, corrupt officials in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province had their ill-gotten gains auctioned off: 10,500 pieces of rare 2 yuan bills, some marked as “Green Ghost” which have attracted attention from online users.
On December 19th, an announcement on the Alibaba Auction Platform stated that the items up for auction were 105 bundles of 2 yuan bills from the fourth set, totaling 10,500 pieces. Among them, there were 55 bundles of the 1990 version, totaling 5,500 bills, with 50 bundles sealed and unable to be opened, and three bundles with notes marked as “Green Ghost”. The 1980 version had 50 sealed bundles, totaling 5,000 bills.
According to information from the People’s Bank of China, the fourth set of Renminbi currency ceased circulation in the market starting from May 1, 2018.
The primary color of the fourth set 2 yuan bill is green, and the 1990 2 yuan bill is called “Green Ghost” by collectors due to its fluorescent properties. After the official cessation of the fourth set of Renminbi circulation on May 1, 2018, the popularity of collecting the fourth set of Renminbi continued to rise, with the 2 yuan “Green Ghost” being particularly sought after by collectors.
According to a report by Jikun News, when contacted on December 19, an employee of the auction consultation hotline mentioned that the items are currently being held by the court. If the auction is successful, the buyer will need to present personal identification at the court to claim the items, and mailing is not supported.
The announcement indicated that these 105 bundles of 2 yuan Renminbi were confiscated by the Yongjia County Court.
The auction announcement stated that the starting price for these bills is 207,600 yuan, with a deposit of 40,000 yuan and increments of 2,000 yuan, and the auction is set to begin at 10:00 on January 4, 2026. There are currently over 1,000 people observing on the Alibaba Auction Platform, but no one has registered yet.
Daily Economic News reported that an assessment report from Yongjia County Court showed that on May 26, 2025, the court commissioned an appraisal firm to evaluate the ill-gotten gains under the name of the judgment debtor Tang Guangman, including various confiscated Renminbi bills totaling 479 bundles. This included the fifth set of Renminbi with 900 pieces of 100 yuan bills, 14 bundles of 50 yuan bills totaling 1,400 pieces, 83 bundles of 20 yuan bills totaling 8,300 pieces, 16 bundles of 10 yuan bills totaling 1,600 pieces, 144 bundles of 5 yuan bills totaling 14,400 pieces, and 14 bundles of 1 yuan bills totaling 1,401 pieces, all of which are currently in circulation.
Additionally, there were 55 bundles of the 1990 version and 50 bundles of the 1980 version of the fourth set 2 yuan bills, totaling 10,500 pieces, 3 bundles of the 1980 version of 1 yuan bills, and 100 bundles of 2 jiao bills.
According to the platform information, among the ill-gotten gains under the name of Tang Guangman, assessed by the Yongjia County, there were also 3 gold bars, 10 boxes of Moutai liquor, and other collectible items.
The ill-gotten gains under Tang Guangman’s name being auctioned off by Yongjia County Court include 105 bundles of 2 yuan Renminbi, 100 bundles of 2 jiao Renminbi, and 3 gold bars. The Moutai liquor was already auctioned off previously.
Tang Guangman previously served as the former Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Investment Project Construction Center of Yongjia County Government. On May 29, 2023, the Wenzhou municipal government of the Communist Party of China officially announced Tang Guangman’s suspected serious violations of discipline and law, subject to investigation. On March 19, 2024, Tang Guangman’s bribery case was heard in Yongjia County Court.