Olympic Museum receives HK and Macao commemorative banknotes

(BEIJING, August 21) -- The Bank of China presented two special commemorative banknotes to the IOC on Thursday in celebration of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The banknotes, one each with a face value of 20 Hong Kong dollars and 20 Macao patacas, have a special serial number, 002008, and will be kept in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In July 2008, with the approval of the IOC and BOCOG, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) issued four million commemorative banknotes, each with a face value of 20 Hong Kong dollars, while the Bank of China, Macao Branch, also issued four million commemorative notes, each with a face value of 20 Macao patacas. The commemorative banknotes are the first to feature an Olympic theme in the history of the Games. It was also the first time both Hong Kong and Macao issued commemorative banknotes.

IOC honorary president Juan Antonio Samaranch accepted the Olympic banknotes on behalf of the IOC. He said that, as an old friend of the Chinese people, he is very glad to see a successful Beijing Olympic Games. It is a success of the Chinese people, a pride of the IOC and a great success for the Olympic Movement.

BOC president Li Lihui said that the Bank of China, as the sole banking partner of the Beijing Olympic Games, has won favorable feedback from Olympic guests, including IOC officials, the media and spectators, on the bank's efficient, high-quality international services during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Since the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games, every host nation has presented the IOC with Olympic commemorative currency. The Olympic Museum now has a collection of more than 12,000 Olympic stamps and 600 Olympic coins and notes from over 137 countries.