April 1, 1980 (February 16) Gengshen, China started to issue foreign exchange certificate.

1980, the State Council authorized the Bank of China issued in the domestic foreign exchange certificate.
stipulated by the State Council, foreign exchange certificate is a certificate containing the foreign exchange value of the yuan, foreigners, overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots over into China, shall be held in foreign currencies, the Bank of China, or on behalf of the foreign exchange against the point to exchange rates at the time, be converted into foreign exchange certificates, and use the RMB equivalent within the specified range. Use coupon can purchase not use the RMB to buy scarce commodities.
foreign exchange certificates in denominations of 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 10 yuan, 5 yuan, 1 yuan, 5 angle angle denominations, it's official conversion price and the black market has always been a great distance, according to prohibit privately in the civil exchange.
Foreign Exchange Certificates may be unique in the world a "paper". Later, many things, RMB and consequently be able to buy, do not look into the Friendship Store passport, and January 1, 1995, the end of its historic mission to the FEC. Some people began to collect it.