Country overview

Polymer overview

General information

Reference numbers from S5 to S9 are reserved for $50, $100, $500, $1,000, and $10,000 polymer bank notes.

Monetary Authority of Singapore

Bank notes

Issued on 24.07.90. Bank notes are signed by the Minister for Finance, Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau (who, at the time, was also the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Currency of Singapore). According to a MAS report, cca. 2.5 million S1 notes are still outstanding as of January 2006.

Certain $50 polymer notes have been issued with J prefix, which is considered by some collectors as a replacement prefix. The statement from the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore is: »We confirm that some of the notes with the J prefix were used as replacement notes.« Considering a high spoilage rate with printing the notes, it would appear that J prefix notes were inserted into bundles of other prefixes as replacements, which has been done by the BCCS (not the printer). However, it is impossible to determine which J prefix notes have actually been used that way. Since these 'replacements' have been created subsequently by the issuing authority and not by the printer, they do not qualify as real replacement notes—there are no replacement notes for Singapore S1.

Singapore, 50 Dollars, issued in 1990. Issued to celebrate the nation's 25th year of independence. The first President of Singapore, Encik Yusof bin Ishak (1910-1970), in the centre. Front: The country’s development is illustrated. The harbour and waterfront as existed in 1861 at left. At right, the container port of today and buildings of the financial district. Singapore is a major manufacturing and financial centre, and, in terms of tonnage handled, is the busiest port in the world. Back: The multi-racial character of Singapore is highlighted. A mixed group of jubilant Singaporeans at right. The sitting of the First Parliament at left.

The Singapore Commemorative $50 note [Description below from the issue folder.]

A $50 commemorative bank note is being issued for the first time in Singapore to celebrate the nation's 25th year of independence. It was designed by artist Chua Mia Tee, and is also the first bank note to be designed in Singapore. Some 5.1 million notes will be produced, of which 300,000 will carry the anniversary date, 9 August 1990; the other 4.8 million are for circulation.

The front of the note illustrates the country’s development. The picture on the left is based on a painting of the harbour and waterfront executed by W. Gray in 1861. Singapore’s natural deep-water harbour and strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and the Far East had much to do with the island’s early success as an entrepot. The port’s activities expanded rapidly with the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of the steamship; and the resulting prosperity, together with the lure of the rich Malayan hinterland, drew migrants from all over the world to make their fortunes and their homes in Singapore.

A studied contrast is provided by the picture on the right, which depicts the highly computerised container port of today, flanked by the lofty buildings of the financial district. Modern Singapore is a major manufacturing and financial centre, and, in terms of tonnage handled, is the busiest port in the world. It is a global city, linked to the rest of the world by its efficient telecommunications system, and its highly acclaimed airline.

The oval in the centre shows the first President of Singapore, Encik Yusof bin Ishak, with five stars on the left. Four blossoms of the national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, are above this oval; these flowers are perfectly matched on the front and the back of the note. The 25th anniversary logo is visible on the upper right-hand corner when the note is held up to the light; the signature and seal of Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau, Minister for Finance and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, is in the lower right-hand corner.

The back of the note highlights the multi-racial character of Singapore. On the right is a mixed group jubilant Singaporeans, with the State flag behind them. The Singapore Arms is to the right of the flag. At the sitting of the First Parliament (shown on the left), the President, Encik Yusof bin Ishak, is flanked by six High Court Judges (Justice Kulasekeram, Justice Ambrose, Justice M Buttrose, Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin, Justice Tan Ah Tah, Justice F A Chua and two aides-de-camp; the Speaker is Mr A P Rajah, and on the government bench can be seen the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and four members of his cabinet.

In addition to traditional security devices (intaglio printing, microprinting, perfect registration of features, latent image, i.e., the BCCS logo is seen on the front when the note is viewed horizontally at eye level), this virtually unforgeable note also incorporates the latest in bank note security features: a shadow image (the anniversary logo) and an optically variable device (OVD)—the image in the centre of the note. The OVD can be viewed from the front and the back, and diffracts light to produce a varying rainbow pattern when viewed from different angles. To incorporate the OVD, a special polymer (plastic) substrate which can take printing like an ordinary bank note was created. The technology to produce this note was pioneered and developed by the Note Printing Branch of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Yusuf bin Ishak (1910-1970)

Issued on 12.01.06. MAS' FAQ on $2 polymer bank notes.

Singapore, 2 Dollars, issued in 2006. Front: The first President of Singapore, Encik Yusof bin Ishak (1910-1970), at right. The Money Cowrie, the cowrie that was most widely used as currency, as a background image at upper right. Back: The education theme is illustrated. Yusof bin Ishak always stressed the importance of education in promoting a better life for Singaporeans. At right, Victoria Bridge School, where Yusof bin Ishak studied when he first came to Singapore. At left, the College of Medicine Building, the first place of higher learning in Singapore. At the back, Raffles Institution, which produced many of the Singapore's leaders.

The new $2 polymer note

Description of security features

MAS issues $2 polymer notes

S'pore introduces $2 plastic notes

Rush for polymer $2 notes swamps banks

Yusuf bin Ishak (1910-1970)

Issued on 18.05.07.

Singapore, 5 Dollars, issued in 2007. Front: The first President of Singapore, Encik Yusof bin Ishak (1910-1970), at right. The Gold-Ringed Cowrie as a background image at upper right; this cowrie is brown-green and has an orange-gold ring on its back. Back: The garden city theme is illustrated; Yusof bin Ishak was a keen gardener and orchid-lover. Trees, flowers and grassy spaces are plentiful in modern Singapore. At left, the old tembusu tree in the Singapore Botanic Gardens; the tree is over 150 years old and has been known to many generations of Singaporeans. At lower right, a bed of Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.

MAS issues $5 polymer notes

Issued on 04.05.04. S4R3 issued on 01.02.08, the first prefix is 0AD.

Notes are signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, DPM Lee Hsien Loong.

The following are excerpts from the Monetary Authority of Singapore 2003/04 Annual report:

• Improve consistency, cost effectiveness, efficiency and quality of currency: To enhance the durability, quality and security of the notes in circulation, we will introduce the $10 polymer portrait notes.

• As part of our continuous effort to improve the durability, quality and security of currency notes, CD will introduce S$10 polymer portrait notes this year. As a start, 10 million notes will be issued. CD will also be reviewing its currency stocking policy and note distribution framework to further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of circulation notes.

Issued on 27.06.07.

Description expected.

$20 polymer note to commemorate 40 years of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement