Along with Hong Kong, Macau is able to print it’s own currency in it’s own way. The Monetary Authority of Macau is responsible for ensuring the issue of the Pataca, which is backed by the Hong Kong Dollar, which in turn is also backed by the U.S. Dollar. The Patacas are not, however, issued by Macau or China itself, but by two private banks, the Banco Da China and the Banco Nacional Ultramarino. Oddly, though the Pataca is the official currency of Macau, it accounts for roughly 30 percent of the currency in the region, with the Hong Kong Dollar and Chinese Yuan making up the rest.

The Banco DaChina and the Banco Nacional Ultramarino share design aspects when issuing their currency, which makes for easier recognition of the notes as they are issued. In some recent commemorative issues, the designs have been almost identical, with distinguishing aspects being merely the bank names. Of all the banknotes issued thus far in Macau, only two issues, the Banco Da China 10 Patacas from 2001 and the Banco Da China 100 Patacas from 2008, have featured the iconic lighthouse known as Da Guia, or in English: the Guide.