It was the first exhibition of the benevolent Lam family's collection which featured antiques dating back to the turn of the century.

Almost 1,000 people saw the 200-plus exhibits at the Police Civilian Staff Club's annual general meeting, the Arsenal House lift lobby and the Police Officers' Club.

The immaculate collection left veterans reminiscing the golden days of the then British colony while educating the younger generations on what Hong Kong life was like decades ago.

Mr Lam said the exhibits featured a number of antiques showcasing the old Hong Kong ranging from daily sundries to legal documents relating to commerce and industry.

They included antique coins and other money, both Hong Kong and Mainland stamps, bank books, water bills, rates demand notes, military notes issued by the Japanese army during the occupation, gold leaves, silver ingots, gold chopsticks, and lottery and bus tickets.

"Many exhibits such as the bus tickets, when compared with the Octopus [smart cards of today] are so different," Mr Lam said. "From these we can see just how much society has changed over the years."

He said in those days the Lam family was engaged in jewellery, jade and antique trading - his grandfather Lam Cheuk-ming was one of the co-founders of China Motor Bus.

"My grandfather gave a thousand-odd dollars to my father when he was eight or nine years old, and opened a savings account for him. That was no small figure back then when a manager earned only $30 to $40 a month.

"The money was kept intact at the bank and my father retained the bank book for 70 years. The money with accrued interest may have rolled over to $1 million," Mr Lam said.

His father Lam Shu-tak passed away three years ago aged 80, but not without first donating his valuable bank book to the bank so the relic could be preserved.

Mr Lam said he respectfully preserved his family heirlooms, but added: "There is limitation to what a private collector can do to preserve cultural relics. As such, I intend to donate the collection to the Provisional Urban Council so that more people can have a look at these in the museum and enhance their understanding of Hong Kong's history."