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The Hong Kong coinage, including 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5 & $10, is issued by
Hong Kong Monetary Authority The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is Hong Kong's central banking institution. It is a government authority founded on 1 April 1993 when the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking merged. The organisati ...
on behalf of the
Government of Hong Kong The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino- ...
. From 1863 until 1992 these coins were embossed with the reigning British monarch's effigy. Since 1 January 1993, a new series depicting the bauhinia flower was gradually issued, including a new denomination of $10. Since the beginning of the coin replacement programme on 1 January 1993, over 585 million coins featuring
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
have been withdrawn from circulation. However, these coins remain legal tender. The total value of coins in circulation in Hong Kong can be found i
Monthly Statistical Bulletin
and th


Historical denominations


Discontinued denominations

The following coin denominations are no longer circulated by the HKMA. * The 1 mill coin was discontinued due to its unpopularity. * 1 cent last issued in 1934, but the last mintage which was melted down by the Japanese or lost was dated 1941. * The 5 cent coin was last issued in 1979 and minted for uncirculated coin sets in 1988.


Denominations with specifications changed

The following current denominations that have changed in size, shape, and or metal content.


Coins in circulation before 1992

Queen Victoria series (1866–1901) King Edward VII series (1902–1910) King George V series (1911–1936) King George VI series (1937–1951) Queen Elizabeth II series (1952–1992)


Coins in circulation since 1993

Since the introduction of Octopus card in 1997, small value payments and purchases in Hong Kong are mostly done as Octopus transactions. The
Hong Kong Monetary Authority The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is Hong Kong's central banking institution. It is a government authority founded on 1 April 1993 when the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking merged. The organisati ...
from 1998 to 2011, stopped issuing new coinage as the territory had stored enough for use. In 2012, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority resumed the minting of coins of the Bauhinia series after 14 years of non-minting of circulating coins, due in part of increased consumption for coins since 2004 in the territory. The
obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
of each newest coin bears the standard bauhinia, with the word "Hong Kong" in Chinese characters and English. The reverse features the denomination in Chinese characters and English with a large Arabic numeral in the centre and the year of issue below.


Security features

The $10 coin is made of two metals: a white
nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow t ...
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductili ...
outer ring and a
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...
inner core. The standard bauhinia on the obverse gives a sharp embossed image. The neat bonding between the outer and inner rings gives it another unique feature. The $10 coin has an alternate plain and milled edge. The $5 coin has a milled edge. A groove running within the milled edging contains raised English and Chinese characters, which read "Hong Kong Five Dollars". The $1 and 50¢ coins have simple milled edges. The $2 and 20¢ coins have scalloped edges. The 10¢ coin has a plain edge. Under Hong Kong law (sections 98 – 102 of Cap. 200), anyone who makes or possesses or controls or passes any counterfeit note or coin commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for up to 14 years. Adopted fro
the official website of Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Permission granted.


Commemorative coins and coin sets


Commemorative coins issued before 1997

: Lunar Zodiac Animal coin set, 1976–1986 : Royal Visit, 1975 : Royal Visit, 1986 : Proof Coin Collection, 1988


Commemorative coins issued after 1997


Opening of the Lantau Link, May 1997

To mark the opening of the
Lantau Link The Lantau Link, formerly known as the Lantau Fixed Crossing, is a roadway in Hong Kong forming part of Route 8 linking Lantau Island to Tsing Yi, from which other roads lead to the urban areas of Kowloon and the rest of the New Territories ...
, the HKMA issued a philatelic numismatic cover in May 1997, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The Lantau Link is the first road link between Lantau Island, where the new airport is located, and the rest of Hong Kong.


Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, July 1997

To commemorate the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 July 1997, the HKMA, on behalf of the Government, issued a HK$1,000 commemorative proof
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
coin, 97,000 proof sets and an unknown number of brilliant uncirculated set of seven coins with the same denominations as the coins currently in circulation. On the obverse side of each of these seven coins is the standard Bauhinia design, with a special commemorative design and denomination on the reverse.


Opening of the Hong Kong International Airport, July 1998

To mark the opening of the Hong Kong International Airport in July 1998, 15,000 $1,000 commemorative proof gold coin was issued. The gold coin features a design symbolising Hong Kong's ascent into the new century and bears the standard Bauhinia design on the obverse side.


The Five Blessings Commemorative Coin Set, February 2002

To mark the fifth year of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the HKMA, on behalf of the Government, issued 60,000 limited edition coin set that consists of five HK$50 silver coins with a gold-plated inner core, and a 9999 pure gold medallion. The five silver coins are individually engraved with a phrase and symbol of traditional blessing.


Coins sources

List of mints that issued Hong Kong's coins in the past: *
Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury and is un ...
,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
* Royal Mint, Hong Kong branch *
James Watt and Company James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...
Soho, Birmingham * R. Heaton and Sons Limited (now The Mint, Birmingham Limited) * King's Norton Metal Company Limited


References

* Ma Tak Wo, 2004. Illustrated Catalogue of Hong Kong Currency, Ma Tak Wo Numismatic Co., LTD. Kowloon, Hong Kong. * Anthony Lee, 2008. Hong Kong Coins Guide (李漢民: 香港錢幣目錄), Collectables AL, Hong Kong. {{DEFAULTSORT:Coins of the Hong Kong Dollar *