On Tuesday, The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the three note issuing banks announced the issue of the 2010 new series Hong Kong banknotes. The new series Hong Kong banknotes in $1,000 and $500 denominations, with advanced security features, will go into circulation in the last quarter of 2010 and early 2011. All existing banknotes continue to be legal tender. They will continue to circulate along the new banknotes and will be gradually withdrawn from circulation when they become unfit for circulation. Hong Kong 100, 50, 20 dollars notes has been released on 22 July 2011.
Photo by news.gov.hk: New Hong Kong 1000 dollars notes.The new banknotes have been approved by the Hong Kong Financial Secretary and are printed by Hong Kong Note Printing Limited. The designs of the notes are individual note issuing banks’ responsibilities. The note issuing banks are:
- Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited
- The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
- Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited)
Consistent with the current series, the new series will consist of five denominations, each adopting the same colour scheme. The designs of HK$1,000 and HK$500 were unveiled today, and these two denominations will be put into circulation in the last quarter of 2010 and early 2011 respectively. Further public announcements will be made nearer the time when the new notes are to be put into circulation. The design of the remaining three denominations, HK$100, HK$50 and HK$20, will be unveiled around the middle of next year.
Photo by HKMA: New Hong Kong $500 dollars notes.
Photo by HKMA: New Hong Kong $1000 dollars notes.The new banknotes have incorporated state-of-the-art security features, the locations of which will be the same across all five denominations. The five more important key features are:
- Dynamic Colour-changing Pattern — colour shifting between green and gold with a shimmering horizontal bar seen to be rolling up and down when the note is tilted.
- Colour-changing Windowed Metallic Thread — colour shifting between magenta and green and the “H” and “K” on the thread are made up of microtext.
- Standardised Enhanced Watermark — comprising a multi-tonal watermark of a bauhinia flower and highlight watermark of the denomination numeral and dot pattern, a standardised design for the three note-issuing banks.
- Fluorescent See-through Pattern — perfect registration of the patterns on the front and back, with two fluorescent colours visible under ultraviolet light.
- Fluorescent Serial Number — the vertical serial number is fluorescent red under ultraviolet light.
People with visual impairments will find the new banknotes easier to use as Braille and tactile lines have been added to help them differentiate the denominations. A new note measuring template, sponsored by the HKMA and the three note-issuing banks, will be made available through voluntary agencies serving the visually impaired community.
"For the past 6 years Hong Kong has seen a continuous decrease in counterfeit rate. Currently there is less than 1 piece of fake note in every 1 million pieces of notes in circulation. We should not be complacent and must ensure that we are staying ahead of counterfeiters. There is a need to revamp the design of our banknotes and introduce latest available security features to minimise the risk of being counterfeited," said Mr Norman Chan, Chief Executive of the HKMA.
Photo by news.gov.hk: HKMA Chief Executive Norman Chan unveil new Hong Kong notes.
"We have used state-of-the-art security designs and also plate-making and printing technology to enhance the anti-counterfeiting capability and recognisability of the new notes. The new notes also incorporates enhanced accessibility features to facilitate visually impaired people to differentiate the denominations," Mr Chan added.
The HKMA will launch an extensive education programme to raise public awareness of the new banknotes. Seminars will be conducted for banks, retailers and money changers; and special outreach seminars will be arranged for centres for the elderly and people with visual impairments. Exhibitions will be held in different districts in Hong Kong to let people view and feel the new banknotes before the notes go into circulation (see schedule of exhibitions at Annex). An interactive online-learning programme is available on the HKMA website at http://www.hkma.gov.hk, and leaflets illustrating the new security features are available to the public at the HKMA office, branches of the note-issuing banks and District Offices.
"For the past 6 years Hong Kong has seen a continuous decrease in counterfeit rate. Currently there is less than 1 piece of fake note in every 1 million pieces of notes in circulation. We should not be complacent and must ensure that we are staying ahead of counterfeiters. There is a need to revamp the design of our banknotes and introduce latest available security features to minimise the risk of being counterfeited," said Mr Norman Chan, Chief Executive of the HKMA.
Photo by news.gov.hk: HKMA Chief Executive Norman Chan unveil new Hong Kong notes."We have used state-of-the-art security designs and also plate-making and printing technology to enhance the anti-counterfeiting capability and recognisability of the new notes. The new notes also incorporates enhanced accessibility features to facilitate visually impaired people to differentiate the denominations," Mr Chan added.
The HKMA will launch an extensive education programme to raise public awareness of the new banknotes. Seminars will be conducted for banks, retailers and money changers; and special outreach seminars will be arranged for centres for the elderly and people with visual impairments. Exhibitions will be held in different districts in Hong Kong to let people view and feel the new banknotes before the notes go into circulation (see schedule of exhibitions at Annex). An interactive online-learning programme is available on the HKMA website at http://www.hkma.gov.hk, and leaflets illustrating the new security features are available to the public at the HKMA office, branches of the note-issuing banks and District Offices.
Source: Hong Kong Monetary Authority, news.gov.hk.
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