The 1997 Hong Kong Handover Brilliant Uncirculated Coin Set was issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on behalf of the Government to mark the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 July 1997. It is one of the most recognisable local coin sets of the handover year.
Seven coins and commemorative reverses
The set contains seven legal-tender denominations: 10, 20 and 50 cents plus HK$1, HK$2, HK$5 and HK$10. Every coin keeps the bauhinia on the obverse, while the reverse replaces the older Queen Elizabeth II portrait era with handover-themed imagery — a junk, butterfly kites, an ox for the 1997 zodiac year, a qilin, the He-He twins, five bats around the longevity character, and a bridge symbolising transition.
Packaging, mintage and collecting notes
- Official packaging: bauhinia-themed pull-out slipcase with an inner collector insert that holds all seven coins.
- Original Hong Kong sale price was HK$160; the HKMA reported 200,000 sets sold out locally on 27 June 1997, while catalogues often cite 400,000 BU sets worldwide.
- Collectors look for complete folders, untarnished BU surfaces and intact original cardboard — fingerprints and edge knocks reduce display appeal.