The image is a photograph of a white rectangular plaque with black text on it. The text reads "To facilitate the circulation of paper notes, the early Ming government banned the use of silver as currency. After severe depreciation in the value of paper money, the government began to lift the ban in 1436. Therefore, large quantities of silver began travelling to China from Japan and America and silver-together with copper coins-became China's principal currency." The plaque appears to be mounted on a white wall.