Hong Kong one thousand-dollar note facts for kids
| (Hong Kong) | |
|---|---|
| Value | 1000 Hong Kong dollars |
| Width | 163 or 165 mm |
| Height | 81.5 or 82 mm |
| Security features | Window, Watermark, Security thread, Registration device, Latent image, Optically Variable Ink, Iridescent image |
| Paper type | Cotton |
| Years of printing | 1860s, 1977-present (various years depending on banks) |
The one thousand-dollar note is the highest-value banknote you can use in Hong Kong. It's like the biggest bill in your wallet! Three different banks print these notes: the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Standard Chartered Hong Kong, and the Bank of China.
Because it has a shiny gold color, people in Hong Kong have a special nickname for it: "Gold Cow" (which is 金牛 in Chinese). This name comes from the "Big Cow" nickname used for the five hundred-dollar note. Interestingly, fewer one thousand-dollar notes are printed compared to most other notes. Only the fifty-dollar note has fewer printed.
History of the 1000-Dollar Note
Early Notes and First Issues
Did you know that some very old versions of the one thousand-dollar note were made way back in the 1860s? Banks like the Oriental Bank Corporation and the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan created these "proof issues." These were like test versions. Back then, things were much cheaper, so a thousand dollars was a huge amount of money. That's why these early notes are super rare today!
The first one thousand-dollar note that people could actually use was issued by HSBC. This happened on March 31, 1977. It was quite large, measuring 100mm by 173mm. A couple of years later, on March 6, 1979, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) also started issuing its own one thousand-dollar notes. Their notes were a tiny bit smaller, at 100mm by 170mm.
Changes and New Designs
In 1985, both banks decided to redesign their notes. They made them smaller, shrinking them to 81.5mm by 163mm. Then, in 1988, HSBC changed the gold color of their notes. The old gold was a bit too dark, so they chose a lighter, brighter shade. They made similar color changes to their twenty-dollar and one hundred-dollar notes around the same time.
As the year 1997 got closer, Hong Kong was preparing for a big change. This was the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, which meant Hong Kong would become part of China. Because of this, the two banks that printed money changed their designs in 1993. They wanted to make the notes look less British. Then, in 1994, the Bank of China joined in and became the third bank allowed to print money in Hong Kong.
Over the years, the notes have been updated several times. New designs were introduced in 2003, 2010, and 2018. These updates were important because they added new security features. These features help prevent people from making fake money.
