5 dollars 1975
Market Prices
134 salesAbout This Note
This is a well-preserved example of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation's 1975 five-dollar note (Pick 181f), presented in uncirculated condition with crisp, clear printing throughout. The note exhibits the classical design aesthetic typical of HSBC's mid-1970s currency issues, featuring an ornate decorative scheme with traditional Chinese junk ship imagery on the obverse and an architectural vignette of the bank's classical building on the reverse. As a regular-issue note from the 1959-1975 period, this example demonstrates the high-quality engraving standards characteristic of Bradbury Wilkinson's banknote production, with no visible wear, creases, or discoloration.
Common. This note is a regular-issue banknote from the lengthy 1959-1975 circulation period of HSBC's five-dollar denomination, indicating a substantial print run. Secondary market data from eBay auctions shows consistent availability with UNC examples regularly selling in the $5-$12 range (with occasional outliers reaching $20-$35), which is the typical price range for common notes in pristine condition. The 2019 catalogue value for UNC specimens was listed at $11, corroborating its status as a readily available note to collectors.
This 1975 issue represents the tail end of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation's extended tenure as a currency issuer in Hong Kong, a period spanning from 1959-1975. The note's iconography—the traditional Chinese junk ship on the obverse and the bank's own neoclassical headquarters building on the reverse—reflects Hong Kong's dual identity during this period as both a traditional trading hub and a modern financial center. The 'promises to pay the Bearer on Demand' clause and references to 'the Colony' underscore the note's origin during Hong Kong's final decades as a British colony before the 1997 handover.
The obverse features a sophisticated classical design centered around a heraldic coat of arms or official seal in the center, flanked by elaborate decorative fan-shaped patterns in pink/red and green. The denomination is displayed prominently in both English and Chinese characters within ornamental circular medallions at all four corners. The right side showcases a detailed engraving of a traditional Chinese junk ship with distinctive multiple sails, symbolizing Hong Kong's maritime trading heritage. The reverse centers on a detailed architectural vignette depicting the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation's own classical banking headquarters building, rendered in perspective with surrounding cityscape elements. The building is topped by a winged allegorical figure (likely representing commerce or prosperity), emphasizing the bank's institutional prestige. Both sides employ ornamental corner designs with geometric and floral patterns, and the overall color palette of sepia/brown tones on cream background creates an elegant, authoritative appearance befitting a major banking institution's currency.
FRONT SIDE: 'THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION' (English name of issuer); '行銀豐滙海上港香' (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Traditional Chinese, reading right-to-left); 'No 673598 FR' (Serial number); 'Promises to pay the Bearer on Demand at its Office here' (Standard promissory clause); '圓伍' (Five Dollars in Chinese); 'FIVE DOLLARS' (English denomination); 'or the equivalent in the Currency of the Colony, value received' (Colonial currency clause); 'HONG KONG 31ST MARCH, 1975' (Date of issue); 'BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' (Authorization statement); '港香' (Hong Kong); 'CHIEF ACCOUNTANT' and 'GENERAL MANAGER' (Signatory titles). REVERSE SIDE: '5' and 'DOLLARS' (Denomination indicators on both left and right sides); 'THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION' (Issuer name); '港香' (Hong Kong).
Intaglio engraving (recess printing), as evidenced by the crisp, fine line work, complex cross-hatching, intricate geometric patterns, and the detailed tonal gradations visible throughout the note. The printer was Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., Ltd., of New Malden, Surrey, England, one of the world's premier banknote security printers of that era. The elaborate nature of the engraved vignettes—particularly the architectural building on the reverse and the junk ship on the obverse—demonstrates the hallmarks of high-security intaglio production typical of Bradbury Wilkinson's work.
This example carries the serial number 673598 FR. Known varieties for this Pick number include variations in signatures of the Chief Accountant and General Manager, which would typically be identified by comparing signatures against known HSBC officer records from 1975. The 'FR' prefix on the serial number may indicate a specific printing run or series variant. The issue date of 31st March 1975 is consistent with the catalog designation; some earlier examples from 1973-1974 exist within the same Pick designation. Watermark reported as helmeted warrior's head, and serial numbers are noted as small format on this issue.
