On 12 June, 50 years back, the first set of Singapore coins was introduced in denominations 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 dollar. These coins depicted wildlife and other images related to Singapore.
As we look back on a glorious 50 years of the Singapore currency, here’s presenting 12 fun facts about the Singapore dollar that most of us are unaware of. Don’t forget to share it with your kids!
- Like most other countries, Singapore has the face of its first leader on the notes too – Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore’s first president, who served from 1965-1970.
- The entire lyrics of the Singapore national anthem are printed in microtext on the back of the $1,000 note!
- The Singapore Dollar can be used in Brunei due to an agreement between the Singapore government and the Brunei government.
Both the Singapore Dollar (SGD) and the Brunei Dollar (BND) are accepted in stores of Singapore and Brunei.
- According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), if all of Singapore’s currency in circulation is shared equally among Singaporeans, each of us will receive $4829.06!
- And if all the coins in circulation are stacked one on top of the other, they would be 710 times higher than Mt. Everest!
- The tree on the $5 note: The Tembusu tree printed on our $5 note was an actual tree in Botanic Gardens! It was said to be at least 200 years old – even older than the 156-year-old garden itself.
Quite tragically, it was this tree that crashed earlier this year, killing a mother of twin babies!
- Why do we use polymer notes?: Apparently, polymer notes last 3-4 times longer than their paper counterparts.
They are tear resistant, and no more worrying should you forget to empty your pockets before dumping your clothes in the washing machine! Also, they can incorporate more security features.
- If all of Singapore’s notes and coins in circulation are joined together, they can go round the world five times!
- Have you ever noticed the dots on the top right corner of the Singapore notes? What do they mean?
They are actually the Braille code, so that the visually impaired can tell the different denominations apart.
- If all the notes in circulation are put side by side, they would go round Singapore’s coastline 633 times!
- The largest Singapore coin is the $80 Silver Proof Coin, first issued in 2012. The size of the coin is 100.00 mm in diameter and it weighs 1 kg.
- The smallest Singapore coin is the $1 Gold Bullion coin, first issued in 2003. The size of the coin is 7.00 mm in diameter and it weighs 0.30 grams.
Also READ: Teaching kids about money