Hong Kong dollar exchange rate– HKD/PLN

The Hong Kong dollar was first introduced into circulation in 1863. With it, Hong Kong finally had its own currency. Previously, Chinese silver sycees and Mexican silver dollars, among others, had operated in Hong Kong territories. The presence of the latter in Hong Kong may seem surprising, but it turns out that in the 16th century money from Mexico reached Hong Kong via the Spaniards, who organised the so-called Manila Galleon Trade, linking Mexico and the Philippines commercially. From there, the road to Hong Kong was a short one. The locals were keen to use this currency because it was based on silver, which facilitated trade. An attempt to introduce their own currency, based in turn on the US dollar, was made by the British, but unsuccessfully. The Hong Kong dollar was linked to silver, which was its main advantage for Hong Kong residents. After the Bretton Woods system came into effect, the HKD was pegged to the US dollar. When the system began to collapse in 1971, the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate became floating, which triggered a period of instability. In 1983, the Hong Kong government decided to return to linking the currency to the USD. At that point, 1 USD was equal to 7,80 HKD. This is the HKD exchange rate that remains in place today, with minor deviations regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. In 1997, there was speculation that the HKD might be completely replaced by the Chinese yuan. This had to do with the handover of Hong Kong to China. However, the Hong Kong dollar remains the territory's official currency and its exchange rate is still controlled.

One Hong Kong dollar is divided into 100 cents. There are coins in circulation in denominations of 10, 20, 50 cents and 1, 2 and 5 HKD. The obverse of the coins features an image of Queen Elizabeth II, a reference to the time when Hong Kong was a British colony. On the reverse, you will find information about the value of the coin and the Bauhinia flower – the symbol of Hong Kong, which also appears on its flag and is an element on the emblem. HKD banknotes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 HKD. They are issued by three different institutions, so their appearance may be different. The official issuers are: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of China. The banknotes will feature the headquarters of these institutions. HSBC and the Bank of China display them on the 500 HKD notes. Of course, other symbols also appear there, e.g. the 1000 HKD note issued by the Bank of China features Lion Rock mountain, one of the most recognisable peaks in Hong Kong, considered a symbol of the perseverance of the area's residents. Specific HKD values have their own slang terms used by locals, e.g. daaihbéng (big cracker) is a word used in the context of 1 HKD, while chēngháaih (green crab) is used for 10 HKD.