President Halimah Yacob today launched a $20 currency note to commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial. The note, issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), depicts Singapore’s journey to nationhood and pays tribute to our forebears who laid the foundations for modern Singapore. In conjunction with the Bicentennial, the MAS Gallery is also exhibiting for the first time a rare collection of currency notes and coins that trace the development of Singapore’s currency over the past 200 years.
Note Design
The front of the commemorative note features a portrait of Mr Yusof Ishak, Singapore’s first President, alongside the former Supreme Court and City Hall, which are now the National Gallery Singapore. These two national monuments witnessed many key events in Singapore’s passage to nationhood, including the swearing-in of the state government in 1963 and Singapore’s first national day parade in 1966.
The back of the note showcases eight pioneering individuals who were part of a broad cast who arrived from different lands and made significant contributions to nation building in diverse areas ranging from education, culture and community service to sports and defending Singapore. Please refer to Annex A for the profiles of the eight individuals.
The eight individuals are portrayed against a backdrop of the old Singapore River, flowing into present-day Singapore. The river was at the heart of Singapore’s development as a trading port, and later our transformation into a business and financial hub.
The note also features a multi-coloured lattice-work that reflects Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural tapestry. The ‘20’ denomination, Singapore Coat of Arms, Singapore Bicentennial logo, and the years ‘1819’ and ‘2019’ are depicted in gold with dynamic optical effects in a security stripe.
The $20 commemorative note was designed by local artists Mr Eng Siak Loy and Mr Weng Ziyan.
Availability of Note
Two million pieces of the commemorative note will be available for public exchange at face value at branches of nine major retail banks in Singapore from 10 June 2019 onwards:
- DBS Bank Limited / POSB
- Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited
- United Overseas Bank Limited
- Bank of China Limited
- Citibank Singapore Limited
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited
- Malayan Banking Berhad
- Standard Chartered Bank
- The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Each note comes with a specially designed folder. To allow everyone to have an opportunity to exchange for the commemorative note, each individual is allowed to exchange up to 20 pieces of the note per transaction.
Numismatic Sets
In addition, there will be 5,000 limited edition numismatic sets available for sale. Each set comprises an uncut sheet of three $20 commemorative notes. Pre-orders can be placed with The Singapore Mint from 5 June to 13 June 2019. The numismatic currency sets will be allocated by balloting if they are oversubscribed. The sets will be available for collection from 20 June 2019.
New Exhibit of Rare Currency Coins and Notes in the MAS Gallery
The MAS Gallery will exhibit a collection of rare currency notes and coins that trace Singapore’s currency history from the 1800s till today. This exhibition of currency artefacts is displayed publicly for the first time, and offers rich insights into Singapore’s journey to nationhood and development as a trading hub. Following today’s launch, the Singapore Bicentennial $20 commemorative note will also be displayed in the MAS Gallery.
