The Macanese pataca or Macau pataca is an official currency of Macau. The currency is subdivided into 100 avos, having currency code MOP and symbol MOP$. In 1894, the pataca was introduced in Portuguese Timor and Portuguese Macau only as a unit of account. In the end of 19th century, the Mexican dollar, Hong Kong dollar and Canton fractional coinage were in use. It was decided to introduce a unique and separate currency of Macau, for this purpose the Banco Nacional Ultramarino was granted rights for issuance of legal banknotes. In 27th January 1906, banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 50 and 100 were introduced and all other currencies were stopped.
In 1935, when China and Hong Kong unrestrained the silver standard, the Macau pataca was pegged to the currency of Portuguese the escudo at rate of 5.5 escudo. In 1980, the Issuing Institute of Macau was established by Macau government that was given a sole right to issue pataca notes. For this purpose, the Banco Nacional Ultramarino became the Issuing Institute of Macau agent to issue banknotes. On 16th October 1995, a Macau bank branch, Bank of China became the 2nd issuing authority of banknotes. Later the authority to issue Macau pataca banknotes transferred to Monetary Authority of Macau.
Macau pataca first coin were issued in 1952. The coins of 5, 10 avos in bronze, 50 avos in cupro-nickle, 720 fineness in silver and 1, 2 pataca were introduced. The Macau pataca first banknotes of 10 and 20 were issued in 1906 and in February 1920, notes of 5, 10 and 50 avo were added. Recently banknotes of MOP$10, MOP$20, MOP$50, MOP$100, MOP$500, MOP$1000 and coins of 10, 50 avos, MOP$1, MOP$5 20 avos, MOP$2, MOP$10 are generally circulation in Macau economy.