Hong Kong five-dollar coin facts for kids
| Hong Kong | |
| Value | 5.00 HKD |
|---|---|
| Mass | 13.5 g |
| Diameter | 27 mm |
| Thickness | 3.26 mm |
| Edge | plain, lettered "Hong Kong Five Dollars" in English and Chinese |
| Composition | Cupronickel |
| Years of minting | 1976, 1978–79 (Decagon) 1980–90, 1993, 1995, 1997–98, 2012–13 |
| Catalog number | - |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Bauhinia |
| Designer | Joseph Yam |
| Design date | 1992 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | 5 with value in English and Chinese |
| Designer | Joseph Yam |
| Design date | 1992 |
The five dollar coin is a special coin used in Hong Kong. It's the second-highest value coin there! This coin first came out in 1976 and took the place of five-dollar paper money.
Contents
Coin History and Designs
The First Five Dollar Coin (1976)
The very first five dollar coin was made in 1976, when Hong Kong was under British rule. This coin was quite unique because it had 10 sides! It was made of a metal called copper-nickel.
- Front (Obverse): It showed a picture of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Arnold Machin.
- Back (Reverse): It featured a British lion wearing a crown, along with the year it was made. The coin's value and Hong Kong's name were written in both English and Chinese.
The Round Coin Appears (1980)
In 1980, the five dollar coin changed to the round shape we see today. This new coin was a little smaller than the 10-sided one, but it was also a bit heavier.
- The back of the coin changed from the lion to a big number five.
- The front still had Queen Elizabeth II's picture by Arnold Machin.
New Queen's Portrait (1985)
A few years later, in 1985, the picture of the Queen on the coin was updated. It was replaced with a new portrait designed by Raphael Maklouf. This new design was also used on British coins around the same time.
The Bauhinia Flower (1993)
A big change happened in 1993. The Queen's picture on the front of the coin was replaced by the beautiful Bauhinia flower. This flower is very important to Hong Kong and is now on all of its coins that are used every day. The name of Hong Kong, in both English and Chinese, also moved to the front of the coin.
Special Handover Coin (1997)
In 1997, a special five dollar coin was made to celebrate a big event: the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.
- This special coin had five bats on the back, which are symbols of happiness.
- These bats surrounded a Chinese character that means "longevity" (long life).
- The year it was made was split on either side of this character, and the coin's value moved to the top.
How Many Coins Were Made (Mintage)
The table below shows how many five dollar coins were made each year. "Mintage" means the number of coins produced.
| Year | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 30,000,000 |
| 1978 | 10,000,000 |
| 1979 | 12,000,000 |
| 1980 | 40,000,000 |
| 1981 | 20,000,000 |
| 1982 | 10,000,000 |
| 1983 | 4,000,000 |
| 1984 | 4,500,000 |
| 1985 | 6,000,000 |
| 1986 | 8,000,000 |
| 1987 | ??? |
| 1988 | 16,000,000 circulation. 20,000 proof. |
| 1989 | 37,000,000 (10,040,000 issued) |
| 1990 | Unknown but never issued. |
| 1993 | 10,000,000 |
| 1995 | 50.000 |
| 1997 | Shou character commemorative. Unknown circulating. 97,000 proof. |
| 1998 | Unknown |
| 2012 | 40,000,000 |
| 2013 | ??? |
| 2015 | Unknown |
| 2017 | Unknown |
| /// = has not been minted, ??? = unknown yet, --- = only minted for sets |
