The pataca is also the
currency of
Macao, the former
Portuguese territory near
Hong Kong. When it was returned to
China on 20 December 1999, the pataca was retained as the currency of the Special Autonomous Region.
About 2260 million patacas of new banknotes were issued for the handover, by the Bank of China and the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) of Portugal.
The currency 100 avos = 1 pataca was established in 1913. Before that Macao had had (since 1894) the rather peculiar system of 78 avos = 1 rupee.
The international symbol for the Macao pataca is MOP. At the handover 1 pataca was worth about USD 0.08.
The same system of 100 avos = 1 pataca was also used in Portuguese Timor (now East Timor) from 1894 to 1960, when it was replaced by the escudo.