The Hong Kong Planning Unit arranged emergency paper denominations before and at the end of the war to meet the coin shortage expected after liberation. In practice, Hong Kong waited until February 1949 for new coin supplies.
Design for daily change
P-322 is catalogued as ND (1945). The green note measures about 85 × 48 mm and places George VI at the centre of an unnumbered face, with the five-cent denomination set prominently around the portrait.
The green colour continues the practical denomination cue seen on the 1941 five-cent note, but almost everything else changed. P-322 replaced the earlier serialled, two-sided local-print format with a portrait-led, unnumbered uniface design.
Uniface and unnumbered
P-322 has neither an individual serial nor a printed reverse. Identification therefore rests on the George VI portrait, five-cent legends, green face, size and overall layout rather than a serial prefix or reverse motif.
The blank back is part of the intended design, not an unfinished print. Any face design visible through the paper is show-through; folds, stains or photographic background on the reverse image should not be described as printed elements.
Collector's perspective
Green ink loss is especially apparent around the portrait and denomination, so note whether wear is consistent with folds or suggests washing. The 85 × 48 mm format is prone to centre folds and short edge tears; the blank back is useful for spotting paper thinning and concealed reinforcement.
Since there is no serial-number variety to record, useful documentation includes full margins, portrait clarity, face colour and any offset or mounting residue on the back. These observations distinguish production and handling characteristics without forcing a subtype.
A four-year bridge
The five-cent note served from 1945 until coin supplies resumed around 1949. Unlike the one-cent paper denomination, it did not need to continue once coins returned; the later Elizabeth II P-326 was a separate, short-lived revival rather than an uninterrupted continuation.