Coins of the Hong Kong dollar facts for kids

A look at the front and back of Hong Kong coins from 1993 onwards, featuring the Bauhinia flower.

The Hong Kong coinage includes coins like 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, and $10. These coins are made and given out by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority for the Government of Hong Kong.

For a long time, from 1863 until 1992, these coins showed the face of the ruling British monarch, like a king or queen. But since 1 January 1993, new coins have been made. These new coins feature the beautiful bauhinia flower, which is a symbol of Hong Kong. A new $10 coin was also added to the collection.

Even though many old coins with Queen Elizabeth II's picture have been taken out of circulation, they are still valid money you can use.

A Look Back at Hong Kong Coins

Coins That Are No Longer Used

Some coin values are not used anymore by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

• The 1 mill coin was stopped because people didn't use it much.
• The 1 cent coin was last made in 1934.
• The 5 cent coin was last made in 1979.

How Coins Have Changed Over Time

Many of the coins we use today have changed their size, shape, or what they are made of.

• One-cent coin: When it first came out in 1863, it was a large copper coin. Its size was made smaller in 1902.
• Five-cent coin: This coin was made of silver from 1866 to 1933. After Hong Kong stopped using silver for its money in 1935, the coin was made of different metals like copper-nickel and then nickel-brass.
• Ten-cent coin: First made of silver in 1866, it later changed to nickel and then nickel-brass. Its design was updated in 1982.
• Twenty-cent coin: This coin was also first made of silver in 1866. In 1975, its design changed to a wavy, scallop shape and it was made of nickel-brass.
• Fifty-cent coin: The first 50-cent coin was made of silver in 1866. Later, it was brought back as a smaller coin made of copper-nickel. In 1977, it became even smaller and was made of nickel-brass.
• One-dollar coin: The dollar coin has changed three times. It was first a large silver coin in 1866. Then, in 1960, it was made of copper-nickel and was smaller. It was made even smaller in 1978.
• Five-dollar coin: The first $5 coin in 1976 had a special ten-sided shape. But because it was easy to copy, the government changed it to a round coin with a special safety edge in 1980.

Coins Before 1992

A 1 cent coin made when King George V was king.

A fifty cent coin from the years 1952–1993.

Before 1992, Hong Kong coins featured the faces of British monarchs.

• 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)

These coins showed the monarch's face on one side and the coin's value, the country's name, and the year it was made on the other.

Coins Since 1993

On 1 January 1993, a big change happened for Hong Kong coins. Before Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region, coins with Queen Elizabeth II's picture stopped being made. All new coins and banknotes now show Hong Kong's Bauhinia flower or other local symbols.

The coins with the Queen's picture are still valid money and are still used today. The design of the new coins was very important. Joseph Yam, who was in charge of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, secretly designed them himself. He chose the Bauhinia flower because it was a "politically neutral design," meaning it didn't favor any political group.

The new coins were officially launched on 1 January 1993. They came in values of 10-cent, 20-cent, 50-cent, HK$1, HK$2, and HK$10.

Since the Octopus card was introduced in 1997 (a card you can use to pay for small things), many people in Hong Kong use it instead of coins. Because of this, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority stopped making new coins from 1998 to 2011, as they had enough in storage. However, they started making new Bauhinia coins again in 2012 because people started using more coins after 2004.

The front side of the newer coins shows the bauhinia flower with "Hong Kong" written in Chinese and English. The back side shows the coin's value in Chinese and English, a large number, and the year it was made.

How Coins Are Kept Safe

Hong Kong coins have special features to prevent them from being copied.

• The $10 coin is made of two different metals: a silver-colored outer ring and a brass-colored center. This makes it unique. It also has an edge that is partly smooth and partly ridged.
• The $5 coin has a ridged edge with a special groove. Inside this groove, you can read "Hong Kong Five Dollars" in both English and Chinese.
• The $1 and 50¢ coins have simple ridged edges.
• The $2 and 20¢ coins have wavy, scalloped edges.
• The 10¢ coin has a smooth edge.

It's against the law in Hong Kong to make or use fake money. People who do can face serious punishment, including up to 14 years in prison.

Special Commemorative Coins

Sometimes, Hong Kong issues special coins to celebrate important events.

Special Coins Before 1997

• Lunar Zodiac Animal coin sets were made from 1976 to 1986.
• Coins were made for Royal Visits in 1975 and 1986.

Special Coins After 1997

• Opening of the Lantau Link (May 1997): A special coin cover was made to celebrate the opening of the Lantau Link, which connects Lantau Island (where the airport is) to the rest of Hong Kong.
• Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (July 1997): To mark this big event, a special HK$1,000 gold coin was issued. Also, sets of seven coins with special designs were made.
• Opening of the Hong Kong International Airport (July 1998): Another HK$1,000 gold coin was made to celebrate the new airport. It had a design showing Hong Kong moving into a new century.
• The Five Blessings Commemorative Coin Set (February 2002): To celebrate five years since Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region, a limited set of five HK$50 silver coins with gold centers was released. Each coin had a traditional blessing symbol.

Where Hong Kong Coins Were Made

Hong Kong coins have been made in different places around the world:

• The Royal Mint in London
• The Royal Mint's branch in Hong Kong
• James Watt and Company in Birmingham
• R. Heaton and Sons Limited (now The Mint, Birmingham Limited)
• King's Norton Metal Company Limited