Pandemonium Singapore Bird Series Banknotes..................

  

                                                  The Straits Times dated 5th August 1976

This specimen piece of the $10 bird series is part of an album of bird series specimen notes bought at a local auction a few years after it was officially released to the general public during  the Singapore International Coin Convention of 1989 (refer blog article of 25th July 2010).


I was fortunate enough to purchase the complete album at a price which was way below the issue price of $1100 at a local auction in the early 1990's

 
                 The Straits Times dated 7th Dec 1976

 A major point to ponder with regards to this next Straits Times article dated 9th August 1976.....



Does this point of law still stands in today's day and age? Would any of our learned friends care to comment?

The notes were issued with two different types of security thread, these with the first few single digit prefixes are of the straight  security thread ones.................... 

                                                             offset serial number error

                                                 lower digit "5" with bold ink print error
 

state crest wet ink transfer error              



left side of note printed slightly off centre



The errors seen are not standard issues, these happen to be that I collect $10 solid security thread bird series errors ;-)


.................................The later series of broken and jagged security threads was issued some time in October 1976 and it caused a major stir & panic among the illiterate population (why is it that it always starts first with the stupid illiterate ones and that it will come out from the market place? You will see what I mean, from the following newspaper articles.....)

                                                              The Straits Times dated 30th Nov 1976



The following articles were from The Straits Times dated 1st Dec 1976....................

 

From the Editorial Section of The Straits Times dated 1st Dec 1976,,,,,,,,

 Thus ends the saga of the pandemonium of modern Singapore currency?  nooooo.................. this is not the end or final, as there are more of these to come..............stay connected!

Following are Replacement Notes of the $10 Bird Series collected over the years......

A Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year Greetings....

To all my fellow Chinese collectors and friends.................

The Straits Dollar Coins...................

  In the early 1900s Silver was the commodity much sought after, thus........................

The Straits Times 10 July 1903



 

The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advisor dated 19 July 1903

The Straits Times dated 24 July 1903 

The Straits Times dated 19 August 1903

The Straits Times dated 26 Sept 1903 

The Straits Times dated 3 Oct 1903 

Finally after a few months of newspaper publications, on 2 Oct 1903 new Straits Dollar coin was declared legal tender and subsequently issued but the coin was not popular with the local population especially the shopkeepers and illiterate market aunties.

Mexican and other dollars were collected and melted down to obtain the necessary silver bullion. Recoinage was done by the mint in Bombay, and was completed by November 1904.

 By this time the Straits Settlement Colony had received some 35,000,000 of the new dollar coins.

These coins were equal in weight and fineness to the existing British Dollar (416 grains troy, 900 millesimal fineness), but with a smaller diameter across the flan. The dies were engraved at the Royal Mint, from designs prepared by G.W. De Saulles.

(info from Pridmore: Coins and Coinage)

 

1903B

The Straits Times dated 3 Oct 1904

1904

The Straits Times dated 27 Mar 1907

The Straits Times dated 14 May 1907

By September 1906, the Straits Government was once again confronted with the problem of raising exchange rate, ratio to gold, etc.

Thus after some discussion with the local Chinese Advisory Board and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, a decision was made for a second issue of Dollar coins with a reduction in weight, size but no reduction in fineness.

Subsequently, Dollar coins minted from 1907 to 1909 were smaller and lighter than the 1903 and 1904 dates.

                                                                                                  1907H



After the accession of George V and coupled with the First World War, Silver was in great demand and the prices rose rapidly.

Thus it became more profitable for the local population to melt the Dollar coins to obtain the Silver sell it than to use as a currency medium.

Another series of the Dollar coins with even smaller in size, lighter in weight and least of the Silver fineness as compared to the other two predecessor was minted and issued.

The reverse designs remained unchanged, but the obverse now showed the effigy of George V, wearing the Imperial Crown and the Robe of State, with the collar of the Garter and the Badge of the Bath.

                                                        (info from Pridmore: Coins and Coinage)

1919

1919 Restrike Proof 

British Trade Dollars

        This newspaper article announces the proposed minting of the British Trade Dollars.
                                                                                       

The Straits Times dated 17 March 1894

         


The Straits Times dated 10 Jan 1895



The Straits Time 1 July 1895

   


                                1895B

                                                                                     

An odd enquiry to The Straits Times and published on 16 Oct 1901.

                              Never did found the published reply...............any advice from fellow collectors?

The rest of my personal collections of BTDs:

                                                                             1904



1913





1929B

                                                                                                                  


1930



1930