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| No.7 July, 2010 |
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New banknotes to circulate in fourth quarter |
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 A new series of Hong Kong banknotes with advanced security features, will go into circulation in the last quarter of 2010 and early 2011.
The new series will consist of five denominations, featuring the same colour scheme currently in use. The HK$1,000 and HK$500 notes' designs were recently unveiled, while HK$100, HK$50 and HK$20 designs will be unveiled around the middle of next year.
Five key features of the new banknotes are:
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a dynamic colour-changing pattern - colour shifting between green and gold with a shimmering horizontal bar that appears to roll up and down when the note is tilted. |
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a colour-changing windowed metallic thread - colour shifting between magenta and green and the "H" and "K" on the thread are made up of microtext. |
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a 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. |
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a fluorescent see-through pattern - perfect registration of the patterns on the front and back, with two fluorescent colours visible under ultraviolet light. |
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a fluorescent serial number - the vertical serial number is fluorescent red under ultraviolet light. |
Braille and tactile lines have been added to help people with visual impairments differentiate the denominations. A new note-measuring template will be made available through voluntary agencies to serve the visually impaired community.
Monetary Authority Chief Executive Norman Chan said for the past six years Hong Kong had seen a continuous drop in the counterfeit rate.
"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," he added.
All existing banknotes continue to be legal tender. They will continue to circulate alongside the new banknotes and will be gradually withdrawn as they become unfit for circulation.
An extensive education programme will be launched 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 the visually impaired. |
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