10-sides Hong Kong 5 dollars [resuelto]

1978 is the rarest year, with only 10,000,000 mintage.

Ok, what is your question?

yvon

Ok, what is your question?

I want to know why this kind of coin is so rare in HK. I have been to HK 50+ times, but I have never seen this coin in HK. (except for antique market, but they sell them for over HK$100 each there.)

I mean, just complete speculation here: Would it not simply be a case of the Chinese Government deliberately withdrawing as many of the pre-1997 coins (Especially those with Elizabeth II, apparently issued up to & including 1989) for political reasons?

I doubt the current administration wants to remind people of Hong Kong's relatively recent colonial past, and the “lifestyle” changes that have occurred since in case it causes discord.

I genuinely don't know if that's the case, but certainly it appears that the current administration wishes to downplay HK's colonial past (I believe I recall museum closures that included British era during the HK riots a few years since). Pulling EII coins would easily fall under such a case.

That is expected, just like Iran after the Shah (I am sure Syria will do the same soon too). Why would you want those coins with an image of a foreigner circulating in your own country? Look at Australia, they are doing the same too. The next $5 will not have Charles on it. From a collector point of view, this is sad but from the country, why not?

This type of coin was demonitized almost half a century ago and got replaced by the heavy round 5 Dollars that are still in use today. In the beginning, they had Queen Elizabeth on them, since 1993 the Bauhinia flower.

I was in Hongkong in December and still today you occasionally get old coins with the Queen in your change, not that many anymore as 10 years ago, though. Of course only types that were not demonitized.

This probably, as also many people from abroad bring old change back into the country. When you pay with these coins, no one would care or take special notice.

Same for the old green 10 Dollar notes. 

They were only used for a few years in the late 70s and possibly not popular due to sharp edges and over 30mm in size and similarity in size and shape to the scalloped $2 coin, also introduced in 1975.

The chunkier coin introduced was at least smaller and easy to tell apart from the reduced size round $1 and scalloped $2.

No political reasons. Just as simple as the 5 Dollar coins were easily counterfeited, hence in later times the introduction of the thick one with security edges, while remaining Elizabeth portrait.

You can guess what goes next with the old one😉

Chris