Coins

Coins in Circulation

The Government issues coins of $10, $5, $2, $1, 50 cents, 20 cents and 10 cents. Until 1992 these coins were embossed with the Queen's head. In 1993 a programme was initiated to replace the Queen's Head series with a new series depicting the bauhinia flower. The first Bauhinia coins, the $5 and $2 coins, were issued in January 1993. New $1, 50-cent and 20-cent coins were issued in October 1993, and a new 10-cent coin in May 1994. The $10 coin, the latest in the Bauhinia series, was issued in November 1994. Since the beginning of the coin replacement programme in 1993, over 776 million Queen's Head coins have been withdrawn from circulation. However, the Queen's Head coins remain legal tender.

The total value of coins in circulation in Hong Kong can be found in Monthly Statistical Bulletin and the Annual Report.

Commemorative Coins and Coin Sets

1. Opening of the Lantau Link, May 1997 (click here to view coin)

To mark the opening of the Lantau Link, the HKMA issued a philatelic numismatic cover in May 1997, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The Lantau Link is the first road link between Lantau Island, where the new airport is located, and the rest of Hong Kong.
 

2. Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, July 1997 (click here to view coin)

To commemorate the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 July 1997, the HKMA, on behalf of the Government, issued a HK$1,000 commemorative proof gold coin, a proof set and a brilliant uncirculated set of seven coins with the same denominations as the coins currently in circulation. On the obverse side of each of these seven coins is the standard Bauhinia design, with a special commemorative design and denomination on the reverse.
 

3. Opening of the Hong Kong International Airport, July 1998 (click here to view coin)

To mark the opening of the Hong Kong International Airport in July 1998, a $1,000 commemorative proof gold coin was issued. The gold coin features a design symbolising Hong Kong's ascent into the new century and bears the standard Bauhinia design on the obverse side.
 

4. The Five Blessings Commemorative Coin Set, February 2002 (click here to view coin)

To mark the fifth year of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the HKMA, on behalf of the Government, issued a limited edition coin set that consists of five HK$50 silver coins with a gold-plated inner core, and a 9999 pure gold medallion. The five silver coins are individually engraved with a phrase and symbol of traditional blessing.

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