I spent a good part of the evening clicking pics for my Postcards From Chinatown series. Just then I discovered what was on wishlist of places to visit in Singapore.... the Singapore Coins And Notes Museum.
Right after where the Trengganu Street meets Pagoda Street lies a nondescript shop-house with a frontage of not more than 15 feet.... I would have missed the place if I hadn't seen the display of the world's largest coin from Yap island in emerald blue South Pacific...
A replica of a tradional Chinese coin...
A smart, plump Peranakan lady at the reception greeted me. The ground floor looked more like a shop, with bullion coins and artifacts on sale. "Oh yes, Sir, it's upstairs".
Her English diction was impeccable, and I emphasise, she didn't speak in Singlish like most others here la.... I swear, I have started la-ing about a lot....
After I paid the SGD10 entry fee (it pinched me, kind of burning a teeny weeny bit of a hole in my pocket), she guided me to the galleries upstairs....
Before of advent of money in this region, barter was in vogue.... spices, precious metals and stones were the medium of exchange....
In the early days, Spanish Dollars were preferred currency in these parts... The Sultans received their tributes and pensions from the British in this currency...
As the British established their stranglehold over Singapore, a common currency for the Straits Settlements comprising of Singapore , Penang and Malacca was introduced from India...
Currency from the Straits Settlements era....
Currency from the 1910s....
An embossing station for Straits Settlement coins from the Edwardian era....
I quite liked the designs on the currency from the 1930s....
A display of the Japanese occupation money, oh yes(!), I heard about the Banana Money or duit pisang at the Changi Museum yesterday....
QEII era currency from the region... I wonder how the notes would fit into wallets, they were simply huge....
The British royal family's line of succession.... was it relevant here? I doubt...
I moved to Gallery 2....
How coins are made.... useful info for kids, and errrr... inquisitive adults like me.....
High tech coins from the Singapore Mint....
Coins that glow under UV rays and in the dark....
The Orchid series.... indeed orchids are inseparable from Singapore....
The bird series.....
In a sense Singapore's currency design evolved with its economy - from natural motifs at the time of independence to a depiction of ships on coins depicted the nation's commercial clout....
The present series depicts Singapore's first President, Yusof bin Ishak on currency notes....
From paper driven to e-money driven economy - the transition in Singapore's economy....
Brunei and Singapore have a currency interchangeability agreement - Brunei Dollar is a legal tender in Singapore, and viceversa....
Special limited-edition notes were introduced to mark 40 years of the agreement. One side of the note featured the Brunei currency while the other featured the Singaporean currency....
It's high time we did this in our sub-continent - it would vastly boost our soft-power....
Currency to commemorate 25 years of independence
Orchids on coins...
How to detect counterfeit currency....
A gallery on international currencies....
There comes our good ol' Rupee....
I dream of the day when Indian currency would a preferred currency around the world, no need to exchange currency before travelling abroad... Hopefully that day isn't too far away....
Ahhh yes, we too have a mint museum back home in Mumbai... why the hell didn't I visit it before? The Reserve Bank of India established the Monetary Museum on Sir PM Road in South Mumbai a few years back. I remember Time Out Mumbai reviewed the place and recommended it....
I was a bit upset with myself - I've visited the currency museum of Singapore but hadn't done so at home. I'll make amends for that when I return....
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