Currency of Hong Kong: description and photo

Not only can countries have their own national currency. This can also be done by individual territories. Since 1841, Hong Kong was a British colony. And since then it is a separate administrative area. Has autonomous rights, participates in international organizations as a separate participant. Therefore, the currency of Hong Kong is a separate monetary unit. Including in the world market. In 1997, Hong Kong was reunited with China.

History

In the middle of the 19th century, Hong Kong was a major port city. For daily trading, yuan, Spanish reais, Indian rupees and other foreign currency were used. And silver Mexican coins were paid before the beginning of the 20th century. First own currency in Hong Kong Appeared in 1895. During the Second World War, the Japanese tried to take the Hong Kong dollar out of use and replace it with the yen. But local residents stubbornly continued to use the old familiar currency.

Design

The currency of Hong Kong is printed at once in several banks. And everyone is developing their own design of money. Therefore, Hong Kong dollars are very different, even though they have the same face value. In addition to ordinary banknotes, jubilee notes are issued. But even everyday bills differ in originality and color. Since 2003, banknotes are unified according to the prevailing size and color (denomination is indicated in dollars):

• 20 - 143 x 72 mm, blue;
• 50 - 148 x 74, green;
• 100 - 153 x 72, red;
• 500 - 158 x 80, gray-brown;
• 1000 - 164 x 82, yellow-orange.

Basically, the design of banknotes reflects the established traditions of Hong Kong. The banknotes depict a Chinese bank, modern architectural buildings, lions and mythical creatures, as well as colonial Hong Kong and its sights. But the real masterpiece is a jubilee note worth 150 dollars.

The most common currency of Hong Kong Has a face value of ten dollars. And in order that banknotes can be used for a long time, the banks of them are made of polymer material. Of the coins, the most notable are 20 cents and 2 dollars. They are minted in the form of a rounded polygon.

On the front side of all coins is a bauhini flower (a kind of orchid), a symbol of Hong Kong. Above and below in the form of a semicircle inscription - the name of the country. On the reverse side of the coins the denomination and year of issue are struck. In circulation there are 7 types of metal money. Three types of cent with denominations of 10, 20 and 50 are minted from alloys of nickel with brass and steel. Coins worth 1, 2, 5 and 10 dollars are made of copper-nickel alloy and bimetal. In the latter there is an insert made of nickel-brass alloy.

Hong Kong Dollar Exchange Rate

As soon as the Hong Kong currency appeared as an independent monetary unit, its rate was tied to silver, and from 1935 to the pound sterling. In 1967, his devaluation occurred. This had a negative impact on Hong Kong dollars. And their pegging to the pound sterling is over. In 1972, the Hong Kong dollar was tied to the US currency.

And the limits of exchange rate fluctuations were within 25 percent. Because of inflation, the Hong Kong dollar depreciated by more than 20%. And in 1983 a fixed currency direction was introduced. In 2012, the Hong Kong dollar to the ruble rate was 1: 3,619,254. More recent data is updated daily.