Talking about 500 note, I had a rare surprise last month. Over the last few months, I had asked my banker nephew to keep a lookout for paper notes. One day he text me and send a photo image of this $500 Singapore note which had come through its branch and asked me whether I would like to have it. Would I?!I certainly would. I dropped at his bank in lunch time, handed him $500 worth of Brunei money and got the $500 Singapore note. It is not a good note though but a used one and I would grade it around F/VF. But it is certainly a rare example of a Singapore ship series note making the rounds in Brunei. This one will certainly not be returning back to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
7 comments:
This is the least popular note among the entire ship series. This note was first issued in 1988 and not that many circulated. I got one in 2000 with prefix A/3. Whilst the ship series is very well designed, have a closer look at those faces of the people on the back of the note. Hardly anyone was smiling!! Why? Why so many sour faces? Was the designer trying to tell us something? Like not happy chap!!
Hi Kai, I didn't realise you also collected Singapore dollars. I am not sure about the popularity of the note but $500 note does not get circulated much in Singapore. Even $100 notes are difficult to find.
Hi Rozan, Yes, I do. I only collect banknotes nowadays. Yes I the $500 was not popular at all, and that must be the reason they didn’t print one for the current portrait series. It’s coming up to the 9th years since it was first (portrait series 9.9.1999) issued and I wonder if MAS is planning a new series of notes to replace the current series. I understand that Malaysia is planning to do that. I wonder if Brunei is doing the same too?
As for my collection, I try to collect all kinds of banknotes, mostly current issues as they are more economical and much easier to find. Nowadays most dealers sell newly issued notes at twice the face value. Pity that not many collectors can afford to hold the S$10000 & B$10000 notes.
BTW, that Qatar 500 Riyal you posted earlier is a Hybrid banknote. It’s part (mostly) paper and part polymer (strip). This kind of printing is getting popular and next February, Bermuda is going to print a complete set of new Hybrid banknotes. Other countries have issued Hybrid banknotes are Bulgaria (20 Lev 2005), Latvia (100 Lats 2007), Kazakshtan (10000 Tenge 2006), Fiji ($100 2007), Qatar (100 Riyals & 500 Riyals both 2007), Tonga (100 Pa’anga 2008) & Samoa (50 & 100 Taka both 2008). Just in case you want to pick up this area of collection. Cheers
hi! I would like to know though if it is still legal to use in Singapore and if is still can be exchange to different currency? Because Im currently in Singapore as a tourist and someone ask me to change his money to so I gave him 500 worth of 50SGD and this one is what he gave me? Im going back to my country and wondering if I could change it there instead
hi! I would like to know though if it is still legal to use in Singapore and if is still can be exchange to different currency? Because Im currently in Singapore as a tourist and someone ask me to change his money to so I gave him 500 worth of 50SGD and this one is what he gave me? Im going back to my country and wondering if I could change it there instead
Hi Royal-duchess, As far as I know, all currencies issued in Singapore since 1967 are still legal tender. Your S$500 is now a collector item, and could be worth a bit more than face value depending on the condition. As to whether you can exchange the note back in your own country is all depending on the Banks. If there is a demand for it, then my answer would be yes. If not, money changer may accept them. I am sure plenty of tourists visiting Singapore every year. Good luck.
On ebay, it would be worth more than $500!
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