HK Monetary Authority presents new banknote series

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) this week presented a batch of new banknotes to be rolled out starting from October 2018, featuring added security features and consistent, vertical images to replace the existing horizontal ones.

The different denomination notes will be rolled out in series, starting with the HKD1,000 note this October and followed by the HKD500 early next year. The lower denominations of HKD100, HKD50 and HKD20 will be ready for issues in batches between 2019 and 2020, the HKMA said in a statement.

The respective colors of the banknotes will remain the same as in the series currently in circulation.

The new designs, arranged vertically on the bank notes, were also unveiled this week and feature thematic subjects representing different aspects of Hong Kong as an international metropolis as well as its rich natural and cultural heritage.

The HKD1,000 notes will depict the position of Hong Kong as an international financial center, while the Hong Kong UNSECO Global Geopark will be displayed on the HKD500 note. The HKD100 note will feature Cantonese opera as a part of southern China’s cultural legacy, while the HKD50 and HKD20 notes will show butterflies native to the HKSAR and the popular dim sum and tea culture respectively.

For aesthetic reasons, the reverse side of the banknotes will feature pictures in vertical orientation, instead of the traditional horizontal layout.

The HKMA also said that the new banknotes are coming with advanced security features.

They include a dynamic shimmering pattern revealed when the note is titled, a windowed metallic thread, enhanced watermark, embossed feel to the print, as well as a fluorescent transparent denomination, for which single colors under normal light will appear as two fluorescent colors when exposed to ultraviolet light. 

Accessibility features such as braille and tactile lines will continue to be available in the new series for people with visual impairments to differentiate the denominations.