2nd October 2023 – (Hong Kong) A photo featuring a person holding two identical HK$500 banknotes has recently gone viral online. Initially titled “Spot the Difference,” netizens quickly corrected it to “Spot the Similarity” as they pointed out that there were no differences and the banknotes were completely identical, commenting, “There are no differences, they are exactly the same,” and “Can’t find any differences, only similarities!” Both banknotes bear the same serial number – EQ637280.
Surrounded by suspicions of counterfeit banknotes, netizens showcased their humorous side with amusing responses. Some jokingly remarked, “People can look alike, and money can be the same,” “Every note is the same, no fakes here!” “Encountering a twin HK$500 note,” “A valuable mistake in the printing process,” “Limited edition mistake,” and “Wrong version, perhaps?”
On the other hand, some netizens took the matter more seriously, closely examining the photo. They pointed out, “The ink in the upper left corner has already faded,” and even raised doubts about the authenticity of both banknotes, questioning whether they were “photoshopped.”
The circulating twin Bank of China Hong Kong HK$500 banknotes belong to the “2018 Series Hong Kong Banknotes.” The Hong Kong Monetary Authority provides guidelines on its website under the section “Currency of Hong Kong” regarding the design and security features. These features include “dynamic holographic stripe,” “windowed metallic thread,” “tactile feature,” “hidden denomination,” “high-transparency watermark,” and “fluorescent see-through denomination,” which can be used to verify the authenticity of the banknotes.