A Story of British Colonial Banknotes & Coins During World War Two

Many years ago, one of my elderly work colleagues had told me that his elder brother was a successful businessman before World War Two. 

His brother had hoarded many stacks of those British colonial banknotes used in Malaya, Borneo, and Singapore. 

When the Japanese soldiers invaded the region and fearing persecution, his brother burned all those stacks of colonial banknotes instead of burying or hiding them.

After the war was over and when the British returned to the colonies, all those colonial banknotes (and coins too) were recognized as legal tender for circulation, and their purchasing power had remained the same if not more. 

Just half cent or one cent could buy a cup of hot coffee!

Obsolete Blank Check

USA, Washington County Bank, obsolete blank check, uncirculated.

This is a collector's item from Springfield, Kentucky.

Money Bag

An early 1980's money bag from New Zealand.

Banknote Albums

I'd bought cheap banknote albums for my cheap banknotes.

After I'd sold my banknotes, I'm using these albums for my old used postcards.

Always keep your used postcards separately from your new postcards.

Hardcover Banknote Album

Buy a high quality hardcover banknote album with crystal clear detachable sheets and black interleaves to display and protect your banknotes.

Fairy Tales

The little Pharaoh and his princess wife will arrive in Singapore for a visit on September 11.

You wonder how long the fairy tale will last.

Stamp Collecting: Bananas

I can't believe I have nothing more than one postage stamp depicting bananas.

So no country in the world would want to claim itself to be a banana republic.

You see that piece of black Hawid protective strip has enough space for two or three more stamps.

Fortune Pack from OCBC Bank

For this Lunar Year of Rabbit, OCBC Bank issues a so-called Fortune Pack, consisting of 20 pieces of uncirculated $10 polymer banknotes, 100 pieces of uncirculated $2 polymer banknotes, two packets of OCBC Bank angpow envelops, and one packet of Mighty Savers angpow envelops.

All of the goodies mentioned above are packed into a colorful paper bag marked OCBC Bank for any customer who queues at the cashier-counter and hands over $400 cash in exchange for this Fortune Pack.

Now $400 of a customer's own money exchanges for $200 worth of $10 banknotes and $200 worth of $2 banknotes, then where's the fortune that this customer could gain? Well, the fortune is the three free packets of angpow envelops.

By the way, the paper bag is a nice souvenir item to collect.

Singapore $5 Polymer Banknote, UNC

Singapore Polymer $5 Portrait, UNC.
Fancy Serial Number 040404.

This is a hard-to-find piece of uncirculated polymer banknote bearing the prefix of 2DD and a fancy number 040404.

Sold to a returned customer at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

SOLD!

Singapore

Singapore $10 Polymer Banknotes, New Series

Singapore $10 Polymer, signed GCT, 10 pieces of uncirculated banknotes. Sold!

On February 1, a new series of $10 polymer banknotes was released for circulation.

Many prefixes starting with the number 2 were issued, and I believe the prefix 2BA is amongst those early prefixes released. It might even be the first prefix of this new series of banknotes.

Now at least one of my customers has indeed confirmed prefix 2BA to be the first prefix of this series of banknotes.

Singapore

A New Series of $10 Polymer Banknotes

Singapore $10 Polymer Banknotes, signed GCT, 10 pieces of consecutive numbers, UNC. SOLD!

On February 1, a new series of $10 polymer banknotes was released for circulation.

Many prefixes starting with the number 2 were issued, and I believe the prefix 2BA is amongst those early prefixes released. It might even be the first prefix of this new series.

This set of banknotes has been sold to one of my regular customers at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

Singapore

Singapore $2 Polymer Banknote, UNC

Fancy Serial Number 494949.

More than a week ago, I'd discovered this piece of banknote bearing a fancy number when I'd exchanged for two new 100-piece stacks of $2 polymer banknotes from a neighborhood bank.

Sold to a returned customer at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

SOLD!

Singapore

A New Stack of $10 Polymer Banknotes

Singapore $10 Polymer Banknotes, signed GCT, UNC.

During this festive Lunar New Year season, brand new stacks (100 pieces per stack) of $10 polymer banknotes like this are available from many banks downtown and several banks in the neighborhood.

Singapore

A US$10 Bill & 2 US$1 Bills from Philippines

I've just received in the mail these three pieces of US currency bills from someone living in Philippines who wishes to buy a nice used DVD from me.

This buyer is a fan of one of the actors in the DVD war movie entitled The Ravagers, and I'll upload the images of this DVD in my next post.

Philippines

Singapore $10 Portrait, Fancy Number, AU

Singapore $10 Portrait, sign. HTT, Fancy Number 6666, AU

This is an almost uncirculated banknote bearing a nice fancy number ending with 6666.

Sold!

Singapore

Singapore $10 Portrait, Fancy Radar Number, EF

Singapore $10 Portrait, sign. LHL, Fancy Radar Number 51 55 51.

Nice and decent circulated, slight folding across the center and small folding at the top right-hand corner.

I was lucky to receive this nice piece of banknote just the other day when I'd withdrawn some cash from my neighborhood ATM.

Singapore

Singapore $5 Polymer Banknotes, 100 Pieces

Singapore, Polymer $5 Portrait, 1 Stack of 100 Consecutive Running Serial Numbers 2ED 096111 to 2ED 096210, UNC, Scarce. SOLD!

It ain't easy to find a stack of 100 pieces of polymer banknotes like this 'coz the printing defect rate is rather high.

This stack of banknotes was sold to a bidder at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

Singapore

Singapore $24 for Three Polymer Banknotes

Having received S$24 cash in a registered airmail from an overseas customer living in Taiwan, I'd sent out these three pieces of uncirculated polymer banknotes without any delay in the afternoon.

We have a fair deal of trading paper banknotes for polymer banknotes across the borders of two countries in the name of the hobby of banknote collecting.

Of course I'd made some profit in this process, and so had the post-offices.

Singapore

Singapore $24 from Taiwan

I'd received S$24 cash in a registered airmail from Taiwan today.

An overseas customer living in Taiwan has wanted to buy three pieces of Singapore polymer banknotes ($2, $5, and $10) in uncirculated condition.

He has paid me the cash for the cost of the three pieces of banknotes ($17), the cost of airmail postage and packing material ($3), and of course some reasonable profit for my effort ($4).

Singapore

USA, 1928 $1 Silver Certificate

USA, 1928A, $1 Silver Certificate, UNC. SOLD!

This is a very scarce piece of $1 Silver Certificate in crisp uncirculated condition.

It's an excellent quality stuff for the discerning collector who has the exquisite taste for the fine art of paper money collecting.

I've sold this piece of paper money to a bidder (from USA) on Yahoo! Auctions Singapore two days ago, after keeping it in my collection for 27 years.