End of a British symbol

MOST of us have never seen one. Many may never have known they existed. But now that the one-cent note is finally to be withdrawn, it is time to remark on its passing. For with the demise of the only note to be blank on one side, we also lose the last Hong Kong denomination still to be issued carrying a representation of the Queen's head.

Three years before the territory reverts to Chinese sovereignty, the Queen's head symbol, with its imperial connotations, has become an anachronism, a slightly quaint relic of the colonial era. While some may still regard it with fond nostalgia, its elimination from the territory's currency is yet another inevitable step in the decolonisation process.

But the one-cent denomination has become an anachronism in its own right. Rampant inflation over the years has made it redundant, since everyone but the banks has long since taken to rounding prices to the nearest 10 cents or dollar.

British rule is coming to an end, but inflation goes marching on. How long before the 10-cent coin meets the same fate, bauhinia symbol and all?