A Hong Kong woman has raised the alarm on social media after receiving two HK$1 coins as change while grocery shopping, only to discover that one of them appeared to be a counterfeit.
She posted on Threads that one coin had a normal metallic finish, while the other looked "matte" with blurry details and a completely smooth edge (genuine HK$1 coins have grooved edges). The suspect coin is dated 2017. Shocked, she wrote: "I never thought even a dollar could be fake."
She took the coin to a bank, where staff members also said it looked fake and agreed to conduct further verification. The woman suspects the coin came as change from a wet market. She described it as resembling an arcade token and joked, "How many of these would you need to get rich?"
The post sparked a heated online debate. Some netizens argued that the cost of making a fake one-dollar coin would probably exceed its face value, while others suggested the coin might have simply been worn smooth by a clothes dryer.
However, many shared similar experiences. One wrote: "I received one back in 2017 – I can't believe they're still in circulation." Another posted a photo of a suspicious HK$2 coin. The original poster later added that news reports about fake dollar coins had already emerged ten years ago, and she shared a screenshot to back up her warning.
Under Hong Kong law, knowingly using counterfeit coins is an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The woman urged everyone to check their change carefully.
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