Henry Steiner's HSBC Banknote Deisgn (1985)

Henry Steiner's design for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) banknotes, introduced in 1973, shows traditional Chinese imagery with modern design principles. These banknotes feature the iconic HSBC lions, Stephen and Stitt, on the reverse side—a design choice that continues to influence HSBC's visual identity today.

In addition to the lion imagery, Steiner's work for HSBC includes the development of the bank's hexagon logo in 1983, inspired by the St. Andrew's cross, reflecting the Scottish heritage of the bank's founders.

The dimensions of these notes varied by denomination; for instance, the 100-dollar note measured 154 × 77 mm, while the 1,000-dollar note was 165 × 82 mm. In 1985, Hong Kong standardized the sizes of banknotes for each denomination to facilitate easier handling and recognition.

Published by: Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited