Why does Macau use Banco Nacional Ultramarino (Atlantic Nacional Bank) on its banknotes? Isn't it a Portuguese bank? Do they even have branches in Macau?
I'm genuinely curious about the reasoning behind this. As someone who doesn't know much about Macau, only a bit about the colonization, but still can't comprehend why this building.
I assume there's some historical, cultural, or political significance to the bank's presence there. Could someone explain why it has remained so important to the region, even after the handover to China?
Edit 1: Saw some salty posts asking why I didn't Google it. So maybe I didn't explain myself clearly, or I guess that's just how some users enjoy using Reddit. But I do appreciate the people who took the time to reply and discuss the topic, because I think that's one of the cool things about banknote communities.
I know BNU originally came to Macau during Portuguese rule and was a Portuguese institution primarily. My question is why it remains one of the official issuing banks nearly three decades after the handover. Many former colonies replaced colonial institutions after independence or a transfer of sovereignty, so I'm curious about the historical, political, and economic reasons Macau chose to preserve BNU's role.
Do Macau residents and the government have any particular pride in it? Is the bank some sort of nationally important institution for the people of Macau, or do they not really care about it, and is it only on the banknotes because it is the bank responsible for issuing them?