Hong Kong

Hong Kong new date (1.1.2008) 100-note confirmed

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100 dollars (US$12.85), 1 JANUARY 2008. Like Pick 209, but new date and new signature.

Courtesy of Christof Zellweger.
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Hong Kong's Standard Chartered Bank new 150-dollar note confirmed

On 9 September 2009, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) began issuing one million 150-dollar (US$19.35) banknotes to commemorate its 150-year anniversary. The commemorative banknotes is legal tender, but was sold at a premium over face value. A single HK$150 note cost HK$280, a pane of four notes costs HK$1,888, and a full sheet of 35 notes is priced at HK$18,888.

Standard Chartered has also selected 100 notes with special lucky serial numbers for public bidding and another 10,000 pieces for which the public can pick a serial number of their choice. There are three categories of lucky number notes, with minimum bid prices of HK$10,000, HK$6,000 and HK$3,000. The "single self-selected serial number" notes will be offered at HK$888 each by lottery. Net proceeds will go to the bank's community foundation in support of local community projects and charities.

The front of the banknote, designed by Austrian graphic designer Henry Steiner, who has designed banknotes for Standard Chartered since 1975, features a satellite image of Victoria Harbour with the lender's corporate blue and green as the main color tones. The reverse side demonstrates the history of Hong Kong through iconic Images of people from all walks of life taking in the view of the Victoria Harbour from the Peak: a policeman, a mother and her chlld in a traditional back carrier, a bird fancier, a worker, a woman with a parasol, a businessman on his mobile phone, and a school boy pointing at a hawk. These Images demonstrate how the people of Hong Kong have contributed to the city's success through the past 150 years.

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Courtesy of Kai Hwong and Thomas Augustsson.
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Hong Kong issues Olympics commemorative note

The following note is available as a single note in a booklet for HK$138, in a sheet of four for HK$338, a full sheet of 35 for HK$1,388, paired with an old-style note for HK$268, and a sheet of four paired with old notes for HK$868. The money raised from the sale (after deducting face value and costs) will be donated to charity, with a portion set aside for local sports development. Although the notes will be legal tender in Hong Kong they are not intended to be used in the local economy, and are being sold at a higher cost than their actual value.

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20 dollars (US$2.55)
Purple. Front: Bank of China building; Beijing Olympics emblem; ancient column detail. Back: Beijing Olympic Stadium (Bird’s Nest); Chinese lucky clouds; bauhinia flower. Windowed security thread. Watermark: Unknown. Printer: Unknown. 143 x 71.5 mm. 1st JANUARY 2008. Signature: unknown. 4 million notes introduced 16.07.2008.

Courtesy of Kai.
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Hong Kong new date (2007) 10-dollar note confirmed

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10 dollars (US$1.30), 1st OCTOBER 2007. Like the HKD10 issued July 9, 2007, but new date and new signatures (John Tsang Chun-wah, FINANCIAL SECRETARY; Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, MONETARY AUTHORITY). Polymer. 133 x 66 mm.

Courtesy of Thomas Krause.
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Hong Kong urges use of circulated notes for red envelope gifts

According to a January 23, 2008, press release, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is reminding the public to help protect the environment by using good-as-new notes, instead of brand-new ones, for lai-see, the small red envelopes containing money traditionally given for good luck at special occasions, such as weddings and the Lunar New Year.

“Thanks to the support of the public and the note-issuing banks, about 162 million, or 50%, of the notes issued in the run-up to the last Chinese New Year were good-as-new notes, up from 53 million, or 20%, the year before…Every year 300 to 400 million new and used notes are issued to cater for demand in connection with the Chinese New Year. Three hundred million notes occupy 500 cubic metres of storage space and could fill 20 twenty-foot containers. The three note-issuing banks need to arrange 500 trips with security escort to transport these brand-new notes. And it takes 400 tonnes of cotton to produce 300 million banknotes.

“Good-as-new notes are perfectly suitable for use as lai-see. Hong Kong’s currency notes are kept very clean with dirty or torn notes being removed from circulation when they are returned to the note-issuing banks. Each year about one-third of the notes in circulation are identified as unfit for use and replaced.”

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Hong Kong recalls older $1,000 notes for fear of fakes

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Recently the Hong Kong Monetary Authority was forced to recall 3 million $1,000 (US$128) notes after more than 1,500 fake bills had been discovered in circulation. The affected notes are from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation and are dated 2000 and 2002 (Pick 206, above top). The old notes are being replaced with those dated 2003 (Pick 211, above bottom).

Images courtesy of Andrew Quirke.

Neither information nor images from this site may be reproduced without permission.
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Hong Kong new date (1.1.2006) 100-note confirmed

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100 dollars (US$12.80), 1 January 2006. Like Pick 209, but new date, new signature, and new title (Executive Director).

Courtesy of Michael Reissner.
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Hong Kong new date (1.1.2006) 50-dollar note confirmed

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50 dollars (US$6.40), 1 January 2006. Like Pick 208, but new date, new signature, and new title (Executive Director).

Courtesy of Michael Reissner.
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Hong Kong issues new HK$10 polymer note

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10 dollars (US$1.30), 1st April 2007. Issued July 2007. Like Pick 400, but new date, new signatures (Henry Tang Ying-yen, FINANCIAL SECRETARY; Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, MONETARY AUTHORITY), larger tactile denomination in corners, see-through window with numeral 10, watermark-like image of bauhinia flower in clear window, watermark-like image of numeral 10, ribbon printed in pink-to-purple OVI, irridescent band with bauhinia flower and HK10 moved to center of note. Rearing horse as registration device, denomination as latent image. Polymer. 133 x 66 mm.

Courtesy of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
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