...Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited - 2018 Series Full Set $20 to $1000

中華人民共和國香港特別行政區
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)

渣打銀行(香港)有限公司
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited* (SCB)

Currency : Dollar (HKD)

In July 2018, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the three note-issuing banks in Hong Kong announced the new series of banknotes. This is the latest series of Standard Chartered Bank's banknotes, with the first note, $1000 issued on 12.12.2018. This series consists of 5 notes. The notes were released in stages between 2018 and 2020. Despite this series being released in 3 stages, all notes are dated 1 January 2018. Standard Chartered Bank has been issuing banknotes since the 1860s (then under the name of The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China).

The general themes of this series are; -

Front : SCB Head Office building;
Back : The city’s rich natural and cultural heritage;
$20 – Dim sum and tea culture (yum cha);
$50 – Hong Kong butterflies;
$100 – Cantonese opera;
$500 – Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark;
$1000 – International financial center.

This is the first time in the history of Hong Kong banknotes that the themes on the reverse side of the three note-issuing banks' notes are the same for each denomination, albeit different designs. Unlike the previous series, there are no description texts printed on the back of the notes.

The designs on the front are almost all the same (except for the Dynamic Shimmering Pattern and underprint) and on the back, they are printed with the following images;-
$20 - waiter serving tea to diners (yum cha) (143mm x 71.5mm);
$50 - butterfly (148mm x 74mm);
$100 - Cantonese opera (man and woman performing) (153mm x 76.5mm);
$500 - hexagonal rock formation (158mm x 79mm);
$1000 - Hong Kong skyline (financial center) illustrated by binary numbers - 1 & 0 (163mm x 81.5).

It has been reported that the notes are manufactured with a thin transparent protective layer on it which will prolong the lifespan of the note by up to two more years. It is believed that banknotes issued by Standard Chartered Bank represent approximately 15%+ of the total banknotes issued in Hong Kong.

In a change from the traditional horizontal design, the reverse side of the new banknotes is vertically orientated.

Of the three banks in Hong Kong, only the Standard Chartered Bank's notes are signed by two bank executives. I believe the signatures on these notes belong to: -

Ms Mary Huen Wai Yee - Chief Executive Officer
Mr Hau Yee Mann - Chief Financial Officer

Twenty Dollars

Dated 2018, Standard Chartered Bank Building, tea leaves (Dynamic Shimmering Pattern)

Reverse - waiter serving tea to diners (yum cha)

 

Fifty Dollars

Dated 2018, Standard Chartered Bank Building, butterfly (Dynamic Shimmering Pattern)

Reverse - Blue-Spotted Crow butterfly, larva, pupa

 

One Hundred Dollars

Dated 2018, Standard Chartered Bank Building,Yueqin (musical instrument - Dynamic Shimmering Pattern)

Reverse - Cantonese opera performing at the Xiqu Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui

 

Five Hundred Dollars

Dated 2018, Standard Chartered Bank Building, rock columns (Dynamic Shimmering Pattern)

Reverse - hexagonal rock formation

 

One Thousand Dollars

Dated 2018, Standard Chartered Bank Building, Bauhinia flower (Dynamic Shimmering Pattern)

Reverse - Hong Kong financial center illustrated by binary numbers - 1 & 0, Star ferry

 

Together with the two other banks (The HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited) that issue banknotes in Hong Kong, the new HK$1,000 banknotes was issued on 12.12.2018 while the HK$500 entered into circulation on 23.01.2019. The HK$100 was released on 03.09.2019 and the remaining two notes, HK$50 and HK$20 banknotes were made available on 13.01.2020. The existing series of banknotes remains legal tender in Hong Kong and continues to circulate along with the new series.

These notes were printed by Hong Kong Note Printing Limited (HKNPL - 香港印鈔有限公司). The printing plant is located in Tai Po Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government in 1996 bought the printing plant from De La Rue Group (UK). Since then, the Hong Kong Government holds 55% of the shares in this company. The remaining 45% are owned by China Banknotes Printing and Minting Corporation (15%) and 10% each for the three note-issuing banks in Hong Kong.

Note * - since 1 July 2004

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