Mercantile Bank Limited (有利銀行) introduced a new HK$100 design on 28 July 1964, catalogued as Pick 244. The note is widely called the “map note” (地圖鈔) in Hong Kong collecting circles because the face is dominated by a stylised aerial view of Hong Kong Island and nearby waters — a geography-led layout that stands out from other local issuers.
Mercantile Bank in Hong Kong
Mercantile Bank Limited was a smaller note-issuing bank in Hong Kong alongside HSBC and Bank of China. Its 1964 HK$100 redesign (Pick P244) replaced an earlier Britannia type and introduced the “map note” layout that collectors still discuss more than sixty years later.
Notes were printed by Thomas De La Rue in London with a dragon watermark. Multiple dated varieties from 1964 through 1973 exist (P244a–e), but the inaugural 28 July 1964 date is the key scarcity — catalogues and auction records often cite a print run of roughly 40,000 notes for that date alone.
Design and production
The reverse carries Britannia at centre in red and pale orange tones. Notes were printed by Thomas De La Rue (TDLR) in London and carry a dragon watermark — a feature shared with later Mercantile issues. At 160 × 89 mm, the format matches contemporary HSBC and Bank of China HK$100 notes of the era.
Dates and collecting notes
- Circulation dates include 28 July 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970 and 1973 (Pick 244a–e).
- The first date of 28 July 1964 is scarcer — auction records cite a print run of about 40,000 notes for that date alone.
- Specimen notes (Pick 244s) with “SPECIMEN” overprints and punch holes are also sought after by advanced Hong Kong paper-money collectors.