Hong Kong five-dollar note facts for kids
| (Hong Kong) | |
|---|---|
| Value | 5 Hong Kong dollars |
| Width | 142-143 mm |
| Height | 79 mm |
| Security features | Watermark |
| Paper type | Cotton |
| Years of printing | various years depending on bank |
The five-dollar note was a type of paper money used in Hong Kong. It was worth five Hong Kong dollars. This banknote had a long history. It was first printed in the mid-1800s. Over the years, many different banks issued their own versions.
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The Hong Kong Five-Dollar Note
The five-dollar note was an important part of Hong Kong's money system. It was a paper bill that represented five units of currency. This note was printed on special cotton paper. It also had security features like a Watermark to prevent fake copies.
Early Days of the Five-Dollar Note
The very first five-dollar notes appeared a long time ago. The Mercantile Bank was the first to issue one in 1858. Soon after, other banks started printing their own versions. The Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) began in 1865. The Oriental Bank Corporation followed in 1866. Later, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) started in 1897. The National Bank of China also issued notes from 1894.
These notes were printed continuously for many years. They came in different colors and sizes. This continued right up until the Second World War.
Changes Over Time
After the war ended, the five-dollar note returned. HSBC and Standard Chartered banks started printing them again in 1946. Over time, the designs of these notes became more similar. By 1970, the notes from different banks looked quite alike.
For example, the Chartered Bank changed its five-dollar note color. It switched from green to brown. This was because HSBC's five-dollar note was already brown. This helped to make the notes more consistent.
Between 1967 and 1970, the Standard Chartered Bank had two different five-dollar notes. One was yellow and the other was green. People sometimes called these the "yellow and green key" notes. This was because of a picture of two keys on the banknote.
From Note to Coin
The five-dollar note was used for many years. However, things changed in 1976. The government decided to replace the paper five-dollar note with a coin. This meant that new five-dollar notes were no longer printed. Instead, people started using a five-dollar coin for their everyday purchases.
 | Anna J. Cooper |
 | Mary McLeod Bethune |
 | Lillie Mae Bradford |
