Singapore Orchid Series 25 Dollars Banknote - PMG Graded 66 EPQ

This is an Orchid 25 dollar note with a PMG Grading of 66 with Exceptional Paper Quality. This grade is also know as GEM Uncirculated and is one of the highest attainable grade a note can have. There are only currently 2 Orchid 25 dollars in the world with a PMG Grade higher than the piece above. To attain such a grade, a note apart from being Uncirculated, it must also have good eye appeal as well as centering. This is especially hard for the Orchid Series as the notes printed back then were more often off centre.

Dismantling the Sweden Ericsson LM Phone

The Sweden Ericsson LM Phone was a common sight in many Singaporean households back in the 1970s, normally found in the beige or gray versions. In order to clean up the fingerwheel, also known as the rotary dial, we would need to dismantle the phone. Dismantling the phone also enable us to clean up the inside as well as check for any damages in the wiring when the phone is not working well. 

However, there are no manuals or instructions that can be found online to dismantle this particular model. After fiddling around with the phone, I have managed to dismantle it and below is a photo of all of the parts laid out. 

To remove the main housing, we will need to locate the screw which is located under the handset area. After unscrewing it, the top casing can be easily removed. The 2 holes on the number dial plate is actually a special type of screw and can be removed by turning it. To remove the finger wheel, we would need to unscrew the metal finger stopper by locating the screw behind the rotary mechanism as shown in the top left hand corner of the photo above.

PMG Graded 1935 Straits Settlement 1 Dollar Choice About Uncirculated

Above is an example of a PMG Graded Choice Almost Uncirculated note. In recent years, the EPQ grade is not easily attainable though paper quality is original. From observation of the grading trends, most original quality notes with foxing will rarely get the EPQ grade, though the number grade is high like the above note. Nevertheless, a PMG 58 1935 note is also a good collector's item.

Singapore Previous 5 Dollars Banknotes

Many people would know about the different varieties of the Singapore Orchid 5 dollar (3 different signatures, 4 varieties), however not many people know about the different variety of the Singapore Ship 5 dollars. In the scan, zooming into the serial number, one can find a distinct difference in the font, size and spacing of the serial number. This is because the notes are printed by different printers, namely Thomas De La Rue and Harrison & Sons Ltd, the latter being the later issue.

Singapore Ship Series (3rd Series) 1 Dollar Notes

This post will feature the more recent Ship Series. Contrary to popular belief, not all Dr. Goh Keng Swee's variety of notes fetch a high price. In this case, the ship series 1 dollar, almost all notes are signed by Dr. Goh. The more valuable variety will be the 1 signed by Dr. Richard Hu. This is because for this ship dollar, A/1 till D/14 are signed by Dr. Goh while D/14- D/20 are signed by Dr. Richard Hu. The supply of Dr. Hu's notes is much lesser as compared to Dr. Goh's.

Another interesting point is that the signature crosses over at D/14, thus D/14 notes are more collectible as it is termed the Cross-Over Prefix.

Framing of Banknotes

Banknotes can also make a nice display piece when they are framed. They also make nice gifts and conversation starters! This is one of the sets that I have assembled with the Orchid and Bird series banknotes. I also do sell these framed up pieces which can be personalized(your own choice of frame, notes etc). so if anyone is interested, you can contact me at my email!

1959 Malaya & British Borneo 1 Dollar

Lately I have been blogging about vintage items and now I'm back to banknotes! In this post, I will share with everyone the 1959 Malaya & British Borneo 1 Dollar. For many non-collectors, they will not see the difference between the two notes that I have attached below. These 2 notes actually command a different price as they were printed by 2 different printers, namely Waterlow & Sons and Thomas De La Rue which are visible at the front face, middle bottom section of both of the notes. The Waterlow & Sons variety commands a higher price due to the lower supply of the notes.

Malaya and British Borne dollar

The Malaya and British Borneo dollar (known as the ringgit in Malay, Jawi:رڠڬيت) was the currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo and Brunei from 1953 to 1967. The currency was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. Prior to 1952, the board was known as the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya.

The Malaya and British Borneo dollar was used in Malaya after independence in 1957, and in Malaysia after its formation in 1963, as wll as in Singapore after its independence in 1965. After 1967, the two countries and Brunei ended the common currency arrangement and began issuing their own currencies. However, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar continued to be legal tender until 16 January 1969.

For more reading, click here.

Business Times Feature

A while back, a Business Times journalist approached me with some questions about banknote collecting and informed me that he was running an article. While surfing the net today, I found the exact Business Times article in PDF format. This PDF gives us an insight into banknote collecting and is a tribute to Dr. Goh Keng Swee.

Click HERE for pdf download.

Know Your Money!

I have chanced upon a PDF published by MAS which gives a detailed insight into the security features on our current set of portrait notes and would like to share the link with everyone who is interested!

Also, to clear the myth that Singapore old notes are worthless (All Singapore notes are legal tender unless mutilated), it is officially stated in this MAS publication that:

‘Orchid’, ‘Bird’ and ‘Ship’ Series (Past series)

· Full value will be awarded if both sets of serial numbers are intact and

half value if only one set of serial numbers is intact. The serial number

is considered to be intact if at least four out of the seven digits appear

in full. The prefix is to be treated as one digit

Click here for full PDF, its an interesting read!

Singapore Orchid Banknotes Forgeries/Replicas

Singapore banknotes are one of the hardest banknotes to forge or replicate in the world. We have harsh penalties for people who forge our banknotes and use fake notes. However, enforcement may not be as strict in other countries.

As Singapore has one of the highest denomination of banknotes in the world, which is SGD 10 000 on a single note, people tend to forge our 10k banknotes more, especially so for the Orchid notes as they are less technologically advanced and easier to forge. Another reason is that people tend to buy these notes for collection and the forgeries may go undetected for a long long time.

Through my years of collection, I have chanced upon several forged/replica notes online and would like to share with everyone here. Buying a forged 10k note can be a very painful experience. If a deal is too good to be true, please think twice or even thrice. When in doubt, always consult a friend or someone who is more knowledgeable in that area.

Look at this image of the orchid 10k note. I have highlighted the suspicious areas. Do you know what are wrong with them? You can post in the comments sections or discuss in the forum.

Also, there exists another version of the 10k which is a reproduction as a charity ticket. It is easily distinguishable by a red reproduction word printed at the bottom of the ticket.

Issue quantity & date of Singapore Banknotes

I was just browsing through The Singapore Mint website where I found that they have revamped their website and included a page on the issue quantity and date of Singapore Banknotes.

I have noticed a odd co-relation between the quantity issued and the price of the orchid notes. The common saying is that the orchid 50 dollars' supply is very high, therefore the price is relatively low as compared to the 5 and 25 notes. However, a quick comparison between the quantity issued puts them at 62 million (50 orchid), 45 million (5 orchid), 50 million (25 orchid) pieces respectively. So is the 50 dollar orchid note grossly underpriced, or that the design of the note is not beautiful enough to drive up the demand? Another way to look at it is that someone out there is holding on to all the supply of the 5 and 25 dollars banknotes. Whatever the reason is, it definitely makes the 50 dollar note the most affordable orchid series banknote (by percentage of face value) in the whole series.

Link to share: click here

Cheers.

The large silver coloured 1 dollar compared to a normal golden coloured 1 dollar. Click here for the full post.

Notes for Display

If you are looking for a picture or painting to hang on your wall, why not consider hanging up a sheet of uncut banknotes? These banknotes are not very expensive, and may even cost less than a painting. Below is a sheet of 8 uncut USA 2 dollar banknotes, which are not commonly seen in circulation. The photo frame bought from Ikea costs 16 dollars, while the uncut sheet was bought at about 100 dollars from the Singapore Mint. In my opinion, it looks good on a wall.

For a more budget friendly and smaller poster, I do have uncut sheets of 4 USA 2 dollars for sale at 48 dollars for 1 sheet. It comes with a clear plastic folder with a description page.

Do not laminate your notes!

Recently I have met up with several people wanting to sell their old banknotes to me, but their banknotes were all laminated. It is a pity as the banknotes were of very good condition before they were laminated and sent to their tomb. Laminated notes lose all of their numismatic value and the banknote would be considered mutilated. Trying to even spend the face value of the note would also be hard as no one would accept such a note. This laminated note may also be considered a mutilated note. According to the Currency Act,

"The circumstances in which, and the conditions and limitations subject to which the value of mutilated currency notes or coins, or notes or coins which have been illegally dealt with, may be refunded as an act of grace shall be in the absolute discretion of the Authority. "

Therefore, do not laminate your notes or buy any laminated notes.

However, lamination is different from sealing a note in a plastic pouch. Some collectors prefer to seal their notes in a plastic pouch, and the note can still be freed from the pouch. This is ok, but lamination is not as the note can never revert back to its paper form without risking damage to it.

Comparison of a Proof and Non-proof Coin

In this post I shall use the 1972 Eagle Coin as an example. For Singapore non-proof coins, they usually come in a red coin holder and is not encapsulated. For proof coins, they come with a certificate of authenticity(apart from the 1972 coin, apparently the mint did not issue a COA for this proof coin), encapsulated and with a box. The mintage for proof coins are much lesser than the non-proof coins. (For 1972 Eagle, non proof mintage: 80,000. proof mintage: 3000) Another difference would be the finishing, a proof coin has a much intricate and mirror like finish.

Care for Notes

When I started collecting notes, I have tried to find a resource to teach me on how to store my notes properly but to no avail. In this post I shall briefly summarize what I have found out for aspiring collectors.

Singapore has high humidity and this would lead to foxing(formation of yellowish/brownish spots) on notes. Thus, the rule of thumb is to keep the notes dry.

Notes can be kept in plastic sleeves, either sealed or unsealed, but never laminated. A laminated note loses all its numismatic value.

Sleeves can be bought from any collector's shop, I would recommend Lighthouse brand for your more expensive notes. A cheaper alternative would be plastic sheets that can be bought from any stationary shop, which may not be as good as they may contain PVC.

Albums can be also purchased from shops.

Be sure to keep your notes and albums somewhere dry, definitely not in cupboards together with clothes as clothes contain moisture.

Do not touch your notes with your bare hands as your hands may have oil at the surface and this will leave a permanent oil stain on the note.

Do not use your thumb and index finger to rub the note, a weird but usual practice by Singaporeans. Thus, when showing your collection to others, do not take the notes out of their sleeves, and try to have a hard plastic case for the more expensive notes.

Do not frame up your notes and put them in direct sunlight as it may cause the notes to discolour.

Never attempt to iron or wash a note with detergent as it will spoil the note and lose all their numismatic value.

MAS also provides some tips on how to preserve your currency collection. Click here.

Singapore Presidential Series

Some people may question whether the current presidential notes are collectible. Answering that question, there is actually a market for the presidential series notes, but only in some forms.

Presidential notes that are being collected currently are the commemorative notes in folders, First/Last Prefix Notes, Solid Number Notes, Radar Number Notes, Ladder Number Notes, Fancy Number Notes, Low Number Notes and of course Error Notes. These notes are also collected in general for other series, as well as world notes, and of course these special notes fetch a much higher premium.

First/Last Prefix Notes - Notes bearing the First/Last Prefix being issued. For the older notes, A/1 is the first prefix, for the current issue, OAA is the First Prefix.

Solid Numbers - As the name suggests, solid numbers would mean a note with all the 6 serial numbers being the same number, e.g. *** 111111 or *** 888888. In Singapore, the favorite number would be 8, thus notes with the number 8 would normally fetch the highest prices.

Radar Numbers - Notes with serial numbers that reflect on themselves, e.g. 123321, 234432

Ladder Numbers - Notes with increasing or decreasing nos, e.g. 123456, 23456

Fancy Numbers - Notes with nice numbers, e.g. 777778, 777788, 888889, 000888

Low Numbers - Notes with low serial no, e.g. 000001, 000002

Notes with 8s