Ten-dollar coins will remain in circulation due to public demand, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Professor KC Chan says.

He told legislators today the Monetary Authority has no plan to stop issuing $10 coins as demand for them in day-to-day retail transactions remains. He said the authority will monitor the market to ensure the currencies issued meet public demand.

The authority issued 108.35 million $10 coins last year, up 2.27% over a year earlier. A total of 72,550 counterfeit $10 coins were collected last year, down 22% on the previous year.

Counterfeit coins are generally rougher in finish than authentic coins, with blurred fonts and patterns. They usually weigh differently to with authentic coins as they are made of different metals.