FORGERS have taken to counterfeiting almost worthless denominations of yuan, police revealed yesterday following their first seizure of fake Chinese coins in the territory.
Detectives admit they are baffled as to why anyone should want to forge small denomination yuan.
The handful of one yuan coins turned up in the latest haul of fake currency to be uncovered in Hong Kong.
But police believe the counterfeit money is being smuggled in from a factory outside the territory.
The forged one yuan coins are similar in size and colour to $1 coins, but the equivalent face value would be 93 cents.
They were discovered in a larger haul of fake $1, $2, $5 and $10 coins.
It is also the first time police have found counterfeit $1 coins in the territory. Detectives are linking the latest seizure to two big hauls of counterfeit $10 coins uncovered last year.