10 Dollars polymer

Hong Kong's switch to polymer for the government-issued $10 — the only denomination issued directly by the HKSAR government rather than one of the three note-issuing commercial banks — was a practical response to the note's punishing circulation rate. The $10 is the lowest paper denomination and changes hands constantly; cotton-paper versions wore out quickly and were expensive to replace at volume. Polymer extended the service life considerably and reduced replacement costs over the series run.

The signature combinations track two HKMA chief executive transitions: Joseph Yam's retirement in 2009 brought Norman Chan into the pairing with Financial Secretary John Tsang from 2010 onward.