Hong Kong’s currency notes are issued by commercial banks, except for $10 notes, which are issued by the Government. Currently, there are three note-issuing banks in Hong Kong, namely The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, the Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. In Hong Kong’s history, there have been eight note-issuing banks in total.
Bank | Year of establishment in Hong Kong | Year of first issuance of currency notes | Year of last issuance of currency notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
(1) | The Oriental Bank (later renamed The Oriental Bank Corporation) | 1845 | 1846 | 1884 |
(2) | Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (predecessor of The Mercantile Bank Limited) | 1857 | 1857 | 1974 |
(3) | Agra & United Service Bank Limited (later renamed the Agra & Masterman’s Bank Limited) | 1857 | 1863 | 1866 |
(4) | Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China (now Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited) | 1859 | 1862 | Up to now |
(5) | The Commercial Bank Corporation of India & the East | 1861 | 1866 | 1866 |
(6) | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Company Limited (now The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | 1865 | 1865 | Up to now |
(7) | The National Bank of China Limited | 1891 | 1894 | 1895 |
(8) | The Bank of China (now Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited) | 1917 | 1994 | Up to now |