1997 Hong Kong Handover Commemorative Proof Coin Set | Harbour Currency | Hong Kong, Macau and China banknotes and coins

Announced by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on 11 May 1997, the Commemorative Proof Coin Collection is the premium companion to the brilliant uncirculated set. It contains the same seven denominations — 10, 20 and 50 cents and HK$1, HK$2, HK$5 and HK$10 — but each piece was struck by the UK Royal Mint to proof standard, with mirrored fields and frosted relief.

White outer sleeve titled 一九九七年紀念精鑄錢幣套裝 / Commemorative Proof Coin Collection — The white sleeve uses bauhinia artwork and bilingual proof-set titles to distinguish it from the BU release.

Red presentation box of the 1997 Hong Kong commemorative proof coin set — Inside the sleeve sits a textured red presentation box with a gold bauhinia emblem and the year 1997.

What is inside the case

The coins sit in a black velvet tray under a clear cover. Design highlights include the HK$10 bridge (transition), HK$5 five-bats longevity motif, HK$2 He-He twins, HK$1 qilin, 50-cent ox, 20-cent butterfly kites and 10-cent junk — the same commemorative programme as the BU set, finished to proof quality.

Open red case showing seven 1997 Hong Kong handover proof coins — All seven denominations are displayed together; the bimetallic HK$10 with the bridge design sits at centre.

Seven 1997 Hong Kong proof coins showing the common bauhinia side — Turning the tray shows the shared bauhinia obverse across every denomination.

Issue limit and collecting tips

Worldwide limit: 97,000 proof sets, with 73,000 allocated to Hong Kong; original local price HK$398, one application per Hong Kong identity card holder.
Complete collectability depends on the outer sleeve, red box, clear capsule and untouched proof surfaces — opening or wiping can leave permanent marks.
Net proceeds after issue costs were designated for community-benefit projects.

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