1840s 可能是香港最早的油畫之臨摹本 Possibly the earliest Hong Kong’s oil-painting. Replica. 

這幅畫展示港島北岸，是早年維多利亞城所在，大致是現在的中西區。

The painting shows the Northern shore of Hong Kong Island, where the early waterfront settlement was located, which became the City of Victoria. This area corresponds roughly to the present-day Central and Western District of HK. It remains the heart of the metropolis.

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1988 山頂纜車百年紀念首日封 Centenary of the Peak Tramway First Day Cover 

2021 山頂纜車車票 Peak Tramway Ticket

早年太平山頂的居民不多，對交通需求不大。不過在1873年，蘇格蘭商人亞歷山．芬梨．史密夫（A. F. Smith）在山頂興建了山頂酒店，因而萌生建造纜車鐵路的計劃。山頂纜車在1885年動工，並於1888年5月30日投入服務。這條全長約1400米，全亞洲最早的纜車索道交通系統在首年共載客約15萬人。起初山頂纜車座位分為三種等級：初期的頭等票價是三毫，只有官員和太平山的白人居民才可以乘坐；二等收費兩毫，供英軍及香港警務人員乘坐；最後三等收取一毫，供其他人乘坐。從1908年開始，車廂第一排的兩個座位供港督伉儷專用，特權一直延續至1949年。

In the early days, there were few residents around the Peak area, and had little demand for transportation. However, in 1873, Scottish businessman Alexander Findlay Smith built the Peak Hotel on the summit, which led to the idea of constructing a cable railway to facilitate access The Peak Tramway began construction in 1885, and it officially commenced operations on May 30, 1888. It was about 1,400 metres long and was the earliest cable railway transportation system in Asia. In its first year of operation, it transported around 150,000 passengers.

Initially, seats on the Peak Tramway were divided into three classes. First-class tickets cost three cents and were exclusive to government officials and white residents of the Peak; second-class tickets cost two cents and were available to British soldiers and HK police officers; and third-class tickets cost one cent and were available to all passengers. From 1908, the two seats at the front row of the tram compartment were reserved for the Governor and his wife, a privilege that lasted until 1949. Today, with the sixth generation of cable cars in operation, the Peak Tramway continues to be a popular attraction for visitors. 

 

1998 天星小輪百周年紀念船票 Centenary of Star Ferry Souvenir Ticket

1896年，天星小輪的前身—「九龍渡海小輪」之東主米泰華拉決定退休回印度，把小輪公司賣給同樣信奉祅教（又名拜火教）的帕西人、老拍檔保羅遮打。米泰華拉有崇拜日月星辰的傳統，五角星亦代表光明及純潔，旗下四艘船都以「星」字為名，所以遮打便把公司改名為「天星小輪」。而天星小輪在未有海底隧道及地下鐵時，與民生息息相關，所以是1966年暴動的導火線。當年天星小輪的加價申請獲通過，觸發示威並演變成騷動，造成一死、26人受傷和1465人被捕。2006年，政府因為要填海而清拆第三代中環天星碼頭，引起龐大保育爭議，最後有約五十年歷史的碼頭連鐘樓都不獲保留，令港人失去集體回憶。

In 1896, the owner of the Kowloon Ferry Company, Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, a worshipper of Zoroastrianism, decided to retire and return to India. He sold the ferry company to his business partner and a fellow Zoroastrian, Paul Chater. Mithaiwala had long worshipped the sun, moon, and stars, with the five-pointed star symbolising brightness and purity. Since all four of the company's ships had names incorporating the word "star", Chater renamed the company as "Star Ferry".

The Star Ferry was crucial in the daily lives of Hongkongers, especially before the age of cross-harbour tunnels and subways. However, In 1966, the Star Ferry triggered a large-scale riot. The Star Ferry Company was permitted to raise its fares and triggered protests which turned into riots, resulting in one death, 26 injuries, and 1,465 arrests. In 2006, the government decided to demolish the third-generation Star Ferry pier, along with the iconic clock tower in Central due to land reclamation, triggering a big conservation dispute. Ultimately they were demolished, and so was HongKongers' collective memory.

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2009 香港賽馬會125週年紀念馬票 The Hong Kong Jockey Club 125th Anniversary Sweepstakes

賽馬是英國人熱門的娛樂活動，早在1846年已傳入本港，當時是在快活谷每年舉行一次。香港賽馬會則在1884年11月4日成立，1891年正式舉辦博彩，從此賽馬成為少數不分華洋皆喜愛的活動。1960年英女皇授予賽馬會皇家稱號，是為「英皇御准香港賽馬會」。此舉生動地由名曲皇后大道東展示出來：「這個正義朋友面善又友善，因此批准馬匹一週跑兩天」。

而馬票，粵語讀音「馬標」，是賽馬會自1931年實行，是一種獎券結合賽馬的博彩方式。它在早年廣受歡迎，直到1977年被六合彩所取代。為慶祝成立125周年，賽馬會在2009年復辦「125周年紀念馬票」。現時馬會年繳超過二百億博彩稅，亦是全港最大慈善公益資助機構。

Horse racing was a popular leisure activity among the British. It was introduced to HK in 1846 with annual races held in Happy Valley. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was established on November 4, 1884. In 1891, it began to offer legal betting on horse racing. Since then, horse racing has become one of the few activities that both Chinese and Westerners enjoy. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II granted the HKJC the Royal Charter, which became known as the "Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club." This move was vividly described in the legendary "Queen's Road East": "This fair and close friend (the Queen) is kind, thus approving horses to race twice a week."

A sweepstake is a game of chance linked to a sporting event. It differs from a lottery as it relies on racing results. It was viral in HK in the early years until it was replaced by the Mark Six lottery in 1977. In 2009, HKJC reintroduced the sweepstakes to celebrate its 125th anniversary. Today, the HKJC holds many horse racing events annually, paying over Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) 20 billion in Betting Duty annually to the government . The net profits of HKJC are managed by its Charities Trust, making it the largest charitable organisation in HK.

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1991 香港郵政署一百五十週年紀念 150th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Post Office

維多利亞女皇時期香港郵票 A Hong Kong issued stamp during Queen Victoria’s reign.

1841年8月28日香港郵政署成立，首間郵政總局位於聖約翰座堂對上山坡。而當時香港郵政的經營權屬英國皇家郵政，且未發行自家郵票。1860年5月1日，香港郵政不再從屬皇家郵政。郵政局其後於1862年12月8日發行香港首套通用郵票，面值由二先時（即「仙」，$0.01）至九十六先時。香港郵政亦於 1877 年 4 月 1 日聯同其他英國海外屬土加入萬國郵政聯盟。

Hongkong Post was established on August 281841. The first post office was located near St. John's Cathedral in Central. HK Post was initially under the management of the British Royal Mail and did not issue its own stamps. On May 1, 1860, HK Post became independent, and on December 8, 1862, issued its first set of definitive stamps, ranging from 2 cents ( a "cent," equivalent to HKD 0.01) to 96 cents. In April 1877, HK Post even joined the Universal Postal Union, together with other British overseas territories.

 

1990 香港電力一百年首日封 “100 Years of Electricity in Hong Kong” Centenary First Day Cover

1890年12月1日灣仔發電廠正式啟用，傍晚六時正點亮位於中環的五十盞街燈，令香港成為繼中國上海後第二個擁有以電力點亮街燈的亞洲城市。

On December 12, 1890, the Wan Chai Power Plant was officially inaugurated. Fifty street lamps in Central were lit at 6 pm, making HK the second city in Asia, after Shanghai, to have electric street lighting.

 

1983 天文台不是看天文 Observatory is Actually a Meteorological Agency?

2017 數字颱風信號百周年小型張 100 Years of Numbered Typhoon Signals Stamp Sheetlet

天文台成立於1883年，1912年獲頒「皇家」稱號，而最初的職責的確包括觀察天文。時至今日，它最重要的功用是發布暴雨或熱帶氣旋警告信號。1917年起天文台採用數字及標誌颱風信號系統，當時的信號為一至七號，亦會在各信號站懸掛俗稱「風球」或「波」的警告信號實物標誌。這個方法自從1970年代起漸漸淘汰，至2001年12月31日，最後一個信號站結束運作，「掛波／落波」亦成歷史詞彙。

The Hong Kong Observatory was established in 1883. Its initial responsibilities did include astronomical observations. In 1912, it was granted the title of "Royal Observatory." Today, an Essential function of the Observatory is to issue warnings for heavy rain or tropical cyclones. As HK is on a subtropical coast and affected by many tropical cyclones in summer months. In 1917, a numbered signal system was implemented for warning of the wind conditions in the territory, the numbers were from No. 1 to No. 7, with higher numbers indicating more severe weather conditions. In accordance with legal codes and customs, once any signal higher than No. 3 is issued, all government agencies and most of the private sector suspend their operations, and schools will immediately cease classes.

 

1898 港幣一毫（頭像為維多利亞女皇）Hong Kong Dollar $0.1 (coinage portrait featuring Queen Victoria)

在開埠初年，香港的貨幣制度十分混亂，日常交易需要計算不同貨幣的兌換率，更要把外幣「切粒」找續，十分不便。直到第五任總督夏喬士·羅便臣上任後創立港元（Hong Kong Dollar），並委託英國不同鑄造廠鑄造香港一文（One Mil，即是千分之一元）、一仙和一毫硬幣，並刻有「香港」二字。他更推動在香港興建造幣廠，1866年5月7日，位於銅鑼灣的香港造幣廠開幕，可惜經營不善，該廠很快倒閉。

In the early years, the HK currency system was chaotic. Daily transactions required calculating exchange rates between different currencies and even chopping foreign coins for use of spare change, which was inconvenient. It was not until the fifth governor, Sir Hercules Robinson, introduced the Hong Kong Dollar as the official currency of HK. He commissioned different British mints to produce coins inscribed with the words "Hong Kong." He also pushed for a local mint. On May 7, 1866, the Hong Kong Mint was opened in Causeway Bay. However, the mint was soon shut down due to mismanagement.