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The British occupied Hong Kong on January 26, 1841, China ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain on August 29, 1842, and Hong Kong became a crown colony on June 26, 1843. China ceded Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island in 1860, and Britain leased the New Territories for 99 years on July 1, 1898. The Japanese occupied Hong Kong from December 25, 1941 until August 16, 1945. Hong Kong was returned to China and became a Special Administrative Region of China on July 1, 1997.

The Proclomation of March 29, 1842 made Spanish, Mexican and other silver dollars, the rupee of the East India Company and copper cash legal tender. The Chinese preference for silver kept Hong Kong outside of the Sterling area and on January 9, 1863 the government made the Mexican and other Dollars the only unlimited legal tender. The British introduced their own Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) to compete with the Mexican Dollar on February 2, 1895, and set equal to the Mexican Trade Dollar (XMSD), which had been the primary medium of exchange until 1895. The Dollar is divisible into 100 Cents.

Hong Kong introduced a currency board on December 6, 1935 in response to the China’s introduction of a national currency. Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese from December 25, 1941 to August 16, 1945 when the Japanese issued Military Yen/Gumpyo (HKG) equal one-fourth Hong Kong Dollar. On June 1, 1943, the Military Yen was declared the only legal tender currency in Hong Kong, though citizens continued to hoard Hong Kong Dollars, and was valued at par with the Japanese Yen. After the war, Military Yen were converted back into Hong Kong Dollars at the rate of 100 to 1.

Although Hong Kong is now a special administrative district within China, it continues to use the Hong Kong Dollar. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority oversees the issuance of banknotes by private banks, but does not issue banknotes itself. The Government of Hong Kong issued small denomination notes. Currently, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and the Bank of China issue banknotes.

Here is a 1 cent note printed between 1961 and 1971. The note is brown on light blue underprint. The obverse of the note features Queen Elizabeth II to the right. The reverse is left blank.

• Krause# Pick-325a

Reverse

This is a 1 cent note printed between 1971 and 1981. The note is brown on light blue underprint. The obverse of the note features Queen Elizabeth II to the right. The reverse is left blank

• Krause# Pick-325b

Reverse

This 1 cent note was printed between 1981 and 1986. The note is brown on light blue underprint. The obverse of the note features Queen Elizabeth II to the right. The reverse is left blank

• Krause# Pick-325c

Reverse

Here is a 2007 dated 10 Dollar polymer note. The note is a mix of purple, blue and shades of red. The obverse of the note depicts a sylized design with a see through window on the left. The reverse depicts a geometric design.

• Krause# Pick-401a

Reverse