Singapore dollar

The Orchid Series of currency notes is the earliest to be in for circulation in Singapore. Issued in the years 1967 to 1976, it has nine denominations: $1, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, and $10,000.

Each note has an orchid design in the centre of the note's front, the orchid being the national flower of Singapore. A scene of Singapore is depicted on the back, which varies across denominations. Standard on each note, is the Coat of Arms, a lion head watermark, and the signature of the Minister for Finance and chairman of the board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, on the front of the note. As an added security feature, all notes have at least one vertically embedded security thread, while the $10,000 note has two.

The Bird Series of currency notes is the second set of notes to be issued for circulation in Singapore. Issued in the years 1976 to 1984, it has nine denominations, the same number as in the Orchid Series, albeit the $25 note was replaced by the $20 note.

Each note features a bird on the left side of the note's front, a theme selected to represent a young Singapore "ever ready to take flight to greater heights". Standard on each note, is the Coat of Arms, a lion head watermark, and the signature of the Minister for Finance and chairman of the board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, on the front of the note. As an added security feature, all notes have a vertically embedded security thread, while the $1,000 and $10,000 notes have two.

An example of a Singapore $1 note printed with The Ship Series

Singapore $1 note showing a picture of a satellite station on the reverse side

The Ship Series of currency notes is the third set of notes to be issued for circulation in Singapore. Issued in the years 1984 to 1999, it retains the number of denominations as was in the previous two series of notes, but switches the $20 note for the $2 one.

A maritime theme to reflect Singapore's maritime heritage was adopted, and progressively shows across the various denominations, the different kinds of ships which have plied Singapore's waters as the country developed. These vignettes are located on the front of the note. On the back, various scenes depicting Singapore's achievements are shown, as well as an orchid, to symbolise the country's national flower.

Standard on each note, is the Coat of Arms, a lion head watermark, and the signature of the Minister for Finance and chairman of the board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, on the front of the note. As an added security feature, all notes have a vertically embedded security thread.

The current Portrait series was introduced in 1999, with the one- and 500-dollar denominations omitted. These notes feature the face of Yusof bin Ishak, the first president of the Republic of Singapore, on the obverse, and the reverse depicts a feature of civic virtue. There are both paper and polymer notes in circulation. The designs of the polymer notes are very similar to the corresponding paper note except for the slightly slippery feel and a small transparent window design in the corner of the banknote. Polymer notes are progressively replacing the paper banknotes in circulation. The notes also have Braille patterns at the top right-hand corner of the front design.

4th Series – Portrait Series (1999–present)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Description		Date of issue	Status	Material
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse
		$2	126 × 63 mm	Violet	President Yusof bin Ishak, Money Cowrie	Education	9 September 1999	Circulation	Paper
							12 January 2006		Polymer
		$5	133 × 66 mm	Green	President Yusof bin Ishak, Gold-Ringed Cowrie	Garden City	9 September 1999		Paper
							18 May 2007		Polymer
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red	President Yusof bin Ishak, Wandering Cowrie	Sports	9 September 1999		Paper
							4 May 2004		Polymer
		$50	156 × 74 mm	Blue	President Yusof bin Ishak, Cylindrical Cowrie	Arts	9 September 1999		Paper
		$100	162 × 77 mm	Orange	President Yusof bin Ishak, Swallow Cowrie	Youth			Paper
		$1,000	170 × 83 mm	Purple	President Yusof bin Ishak, Beautiful Cowrie	Government			Paper
		$10,000	180 × 90 mm	Golden	President Yusof bin Ishak, Onyx Cowrie	Economics			Paper

The S$10,000 and B$10,000 note are the world's most valuable banknotes (that are officially in circulation).[13] As of August 2011, it is worth over seven times as much as the next most valuable, the 1,000-franc note. On 2 July 2014, the Monetary Authority of Singapore announced that it would stop printing $10,000 notes starting from 1 October 2014, to reduce the risk of money laundering.[14] Singapore has now officially stopped producing the S$10,000 banknote and has thus begun the process of withdrawing it from active circulation. This is a trend in many countries like Canada's withdrawal of the C$1000 banknote the previous decade and the European Central Bank's announcement on 4 May 2016 that they would stop the production and issuance of the 500-euro banknote.[15] The MAS said that the notes will likely remain legal tender until all the notes slowly get returned as they get damaged.[16]

Commemorative banknotes are also released, usually in limited quantities. The first commemorative banknote was released on 24 July 1990 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Singapore's independence. Of the 5.1 million $50 polymer banknotes issued, 300,000 came with an overprint of the anniversary date "9 August 1990". This $50 note was the first commemorative note issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS) and was also the first polymer banknote in the history of Singapore's currency. In addition, the $50 note was the first note designed in Singapore by a Singapore artist.

On 8 December 1999, to celebrate the coming 2000 millennium, three million $2 millennium notes were circulated. The note is similar to the $2 portrait series, except that the prefix of the serial number is replaced with a Millennium 2000 logo. These millennium notes are printed on paper as polymer notes were not introduced yet then.

Wikinews has related news: Singapore and Brunei issue joint banknote

On 27 June 2007, to commemorate 40 years of currency agreement with Brunei, a commemorative S$20 note was launched; the back is identical to the Bruneian $20 note launched simultaneously.[17] A circulation version of the $20 note can be exchanged at banks in Singapore beginning 16 July 2007, limited to two pieces per transaction.

On 18 August 2015, to commemorate Singapore's 50 years of nation-building, the Monetary Authority of Singapore launched a set of six commemorative notes. These commemorative notes comprise five S$10 polymer notes and a S$50 note. The note design's draw inspiration from significant milestones and achievements in Singapore's history, the multiracialism that defines the nation and the values and aspirations that underpin Singapore's progress. The front of both the $50 and $10 notes feature a portrait of Yusof Ishak, Singapore's first president, as in the current Portrait series notes. [18] The $50 note highlights Singapore's history, transformation and future. It shows the late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, shouting "Merdeka!"—the rallying cry of Singapore's independence struggle. The note makes distinctive use of the colour gold, reflecting Singapore's Golden Jubilee. The five $10 notes have a common front design and varying back designs depicting the theme 'Vibrant Nation, Endearing Home'. Each note reflects a value or aspiration that defines the theme: 'Caring Community, Active Citizenry', 'Opportunities for All', 'Safe and Secure', 'Strong Families' and '...regardless of race, language or religion...'.[18]

In 2017, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its Currency Interchangeability Agreement between Brunei and Singapore, both the Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam and the Monetary Authority of Singapore issued $50 polymer banknotes to commemorate that event.[19]

On 5 June 2019, a $20 note commemorating the Singapore Bicentennial was issued.[20]

Singapore commemorative banknotes[21]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Occasion	Description		Date of issue	Material	Ref.
Obverse	Reverse					Obverse	Reverse
		$50	156 × 74 mm	Red	25th Anniversary of the Independence of Singapore	Optically variable device shows President Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore Harbour in 1861, four blossoms of the "Vanda Miss Joaquim" orchid, Tanjong Pagar container port and some prominent office buildings	1st Parliament of Singapore held on 8th December 1965 and group of multi-racial Singaporeans in jubilant celebration	24 July 1990	Polymer	[22]
		$25	141 × 79 mm	Brown	25th Anniversary of the Monetary Authority of Singapore	Monetary Authority of Singapore Building set against a view of Singapore's financial district and scene of the SIMEX trading floor	Singapore's financial sector skyline	10 May 1996	Paper	[23]
		$20	149 × 72 mm	Orange	40 Years of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement	President Yusof bin Ishak and the "Dendrobium Puan Noor Aishah" orchid	The Esplanade, skyline of Singapore's financial district and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque with the Royal Barge and the water village shown	27 June 2007	Polymer	[24]
		$50	156 × 74 mm	Gold	SG50: Celebrating Singapore's 50 years of nation-building	President Yusof bin Ishak, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and a group of children of different races and gender	First National Day Parade 1966 and the Punggol New Town	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red		President Yusof bin Ishak and the "Vanda Miss Joaquim" orchid	"…regardless of race, language or religion…"	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red			"Opportunities for All"	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red			"Safe and Secure"	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red			"Strong Families"	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$10	141 × 69 mm	Red			"Caring Community, Active Citizenry"	11 August 2015	Polymer	[25]
		$50	158 × 75 mm	Gold	50 Years of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement	President Yusof bin Ishak, the "Vanda Miss Joaquim" orchid, the "Simpur" flower and the window security feature showing Brunei Darussalam's Istana Nurul Iman and Singapore's Istana	Military personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Singapore Armed Forces, students from both countries, Brunei Darussalam's Ulu Temburong National Park and Singapore Botanic Gardens	5 July 2017	Polymer	[26]
		$20	162 × 77 mm	Beige-Peach	Singapore Bicentennial	President Yusof bin Ishak, National Gallery Singapore (former Supreme Court and City Hall)	Eight pioneering individuals, namely Munshi Abdullah, Henry Nicholas Ridley, Tan Kah Kee, P. Govindasamy Pillai, Teresa Hsu Chih, Alice Pennefather, Adnan Saidi and Ruth Wong Hie King, portrayed against a backdrop of the Singapore River	5 June 2019	Polymer	[27]
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.