What are Singapore's Ship Series banknotes?

They are the third family of Singapore dollar notes, after the Orchid and Bird series. Wikipedia describes a maritime theme chosen to reflect Singapore's maritime heritage: across the denominations, the fronts show the kinds of ships that plied Singapore's waters as the country developed. The backs show scenes of Singapore's achievements, each with an orchid for the national flower.

The series kept nine denominations but swapped the Bird Series' 20 dollar note for a 2 dollar. Every note carries the coat of arms, a lion head watermark, the signature of the Minister for Finance as chairman of the Board, and a vertically embedded security thread. The issuer was the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS), established on 7 April 1967. On 1 October 2002 it merged with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which took over note issue. Our Singapore banknotes guide places the series among all four families.

What ship is on each Singapore Ship Series note?

Read the table from top to bottom and the vessels grow from sail and barge to container ship and bulk carrier. Ships, backs and first issue dates follow Wikipedia's table of the series:

Notice the order of release. The series did not start at the bottom: the 1,000 dollars came first, in October 1984, and the 2 dollars last, in January 1991, later joined by a purple version in December 1991. By our arithmetic, the full set took more than six years to roll out.

What is on the Singapore 5 dollar Ship Series note?

A twakow on the front and the PSA container terminal on the back. Wikipedia lists the twakow as a lighter vessel, one of the older craft in the series; the back jumps forward to the container age.

The 5 dollar puts the port's past and present on one note: a twakow on the front, a container terminal on the back.

The note is green and measures 133 by 66 mm, the same size Wikipedia gives for the Bird Series 5 dollar it replaced. It was first issued on 21 August 1989, the same day as the 10,000 dollars, so a 1989 5 dollar comes from the note's first year.

Why did Singapore stop using 1 dollar notes?

Because a coin took over. When Singapore introduced its second series of coins in 1985, one-dollar banknotes were discontinued and gradually replaced with an aluminium-bronze coin. The Ship Series 1 dollar note, first issued in 1987, overlapped with that change.

The series itself gave way in 1999 to the Portrait Series, which carries the face of Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first president, and omits the 1 and 500 dollar denominations. That makes the Ship Series the last family to include a 1 dollar note.

What should you check when buying a Ship Series pack?

1. The issuer. Ship Series notes name the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore. That is part of their story, since the Board merged into the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2002.
2. The security features. Hold a note to the light for the lion head watermark and the vertical security thread. Our history of banknote watermarks explains what to look for.
3. The serial run. A pack of 100 should run without gaps. Our explainer on bank packs and consecutive runs shows how to check.
4. The paper. Packs from the 1980s can show toning or staining at the edges. Inspect the top, bottom and sides of the stack, not just the face note.

Planet Banknote has a full pack of 100 consecutive 1989 5 dollar Ship Series notes in its original BCCS band, along with a 1 dollar Ship Series pack, a pairing that shows the junk and the lighter side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Singapore Ship Series notes?

Singapore's third series of banknotes, issued from 1984 to 1999 by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore. Each of the nine denominations shows a different vessel on the front and a national scene with an orchid on the back.

What ship is on the Singapore 5 dollar Ship Series note?

A twakow, a lighter vessel. The back of the green 5 dollar shows the PSA container terminal. The note measures 133 by 66 mm and was first issued on 21 August 1989.

Who issued the Singapore Ship Series notes?

The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS), established on 7 April 1967. It merged with the Monetary Authority of Singapore on 1 October 2002, and MAS has issued Singapore's notes since.

When was the first Ship Series note issued?

The 1,000 dollar note came first, on 22 October 1984. The last new denomination was the 2 dollar on 28 January 1991, with a purple version following in December 1991.

Why does Singapore not have a 1 dollar note?

Singapore's second coin series of 1985 replaced the 1 dollar note with an aluminium-bronze coin. The Portrait Series of 1999 omitted the 1 dollar, so the Ship Series was the last to include it.

What replaced the Ship Series?

The Portrait Series, introduced in 1999, with Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first president, on the front of every note. It dropped the 1 and 500 dollar denominations.