Coins
Coins were not issued for use in Macau until 1952, with the 20 cent coin of Canton Province circulating. In 1952, bronze 5 and 10 avos, cupro-nickel 50 avos and .720 fineness silver 1 and 5 patacas were introduced. Nickel-brass replaced bronze in 1967, including the last issue of 5 avos. Nickel replaced silver in the 1 pataca in 1968. In 1971, a final (.650 fineness) silver issue of 5 patacas was produced.
Brass 10, 20 and 50 avos and cupro-nickel 1 and 5 patacas were introduced in 1982. The 20 avos and 5 patacas became dodecagonal in 1993 and 1992, respectively, whilst a bimetallic 10 patacas was introduced in 1997 and a cupronickel 2 patacas in 1998. Coins are issued by the Monetary Authority of Macao.
| Currently Circulating Coins | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Description | First Minted Year | |||
| Obverse | Reverse | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | ||
| 10 avos | Brass | "Macau", "澳門" | Value, Lion Dance Costume Head | 1993 | ||
| 20 avos | Denomination, Dragon boat | |||||
| 50 avos | Denomination, Dragon dance | |||||
| MOP$1 | Cupronickel | "Macau", "澳門" | Value, Guia Lighthouse | 1992 | ||
| MOP$2 | Denomination, Templo de A-Má and Penha church | 1998 | ||||
| MOP$5 | Denomination, Cathedral of Saint Paul, Chinese junk | 1992 | ||||
| MOP$10 | Ring: Brass Center: Cupronickel |
"Macau", "澳門" | Value, St. Dominic’s Church of Macau | 1997 | ||
Read more about this topic: Macanese Pataca
Famous quotes containing the word coins:
“A war undertaken without sufficient monies has but a wisp of force. Coins are the very sinews of battles.”
—François Rabelais (1494–1553)
“No Time, spoke the clocks, no God, rang the bells,
I drew the white sheet over the islands
And the coins on my eyelids sang like shells.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)