Currency Act 1967
2020 REVISED EDITION This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021. Prepared and Published by THE LAW REVISION COMMISSION UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE REVISED EDITION OF THE LAWS ACT 1983
An Act to establish the national currency of Singapore, and to provide for matters connected therewith. [7 April 1967: Parts I and II; sections 19 and 22; Part IV; and section 32; 12 June 1967: Sections 11 to 18, 20, 21, 23 to 27 and 33 to 35]
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART 1 PRELIMINARY Section 1. Short title 2. Interpretation PART 2 TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS, PROPERTY, LIABILITIES AND EMPLOYEES TO AUTHORITY 3. Interpretation of this Part 4. Authority to administer Act 5. Transfer to Authority of property, assets and liabilities 6. Transfer of employees 7. Service rights, etc., of transferred employees to be preserved 8. Existing contracts 9. Continuation and completion of disciplinary proceedings 10. Misconduct or neglect of duty by employee before transfer PART 3 CURRENCY 11. Currency of Singapore 12. Use of Singapore dollar 13. Authority to have sole right to issue currency; legal tender 14. Bills and notes payable to bearer on demand 15. Exchange of currency notes and coins 16. [Repealed] 17. Form and design of currency notes and coins 18. Demonetisation of currency notes and coins 19. Mutilated currency notes and coins 20. Restriction on use of photographs, drawing or design of currency notes and coins in advertisements, etc. 21. Dissolution of Currency Fund 22. Authority’s assets must not be less than currency in circulation PART 4 MISCELLANEOUS 23. Mutilating, destroying or defacing currency notes and coins 24. Counterfeit currency notes and coins to be forfeited 25. Power of arrest 26. Consent of Public Prosecutor 27. [Repealed] 28. Regulations 29. Saving and transitional provisions
This Act is the Currency Act 1967.
“Authority” means the Monetary Authority of Singapore established under the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act 1970; “currency” means currency notes and coins which are legal tender in Singapore; “intelligent banknote neutralisation system” or “IBNS” means a security system which is designed to deter unauthorised access to currency notes by mutilating, destroying or permanently damaging the currency notes, such as by the application of a staining or degradation agent to the currency notes or otherwise; “issue” includes reissue.
In this Part, “Board” means the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore.
(a) the Authority had been a party to such an agreement; and (b) for any reference to the Board there were substituted in respect of anything to be done on or after 1 October 2002 a reference to the Authority.
(a) any reference in this Part to property vested in the Board is a reference to such property of the Board whether situated in Singapore or elsewhere; and (b) any such reference to rights and liabilities of the Board is a reference to such rights to which the Board is entitled or (as the case may be) such liabilities to which the Board is subject, whether under the laws of Singapore or any country outside Singapore and includes rights and liabilities arising under loans raised by the Board.
All deeds, bonds, agreements, instruments and arrangements subsisting immediately before 1 October 2002 to which the Board is a party continue in force on and after that date and are enforceable by or against the Authority as if the Authority had been named therein or had been a party thereto instead of the Board.
(a) complete the hearing or investigation; and (b) make such order, ruling or direction as it could have made under the authority vested in it before that date.
The Authority may reprimand, reduce in rank, retire, dismiss or punish in some other manner a person who had, while the person was in the employment of the Board, been guilty of any misconduct or neglect of duty which would have rendered the person liable to be reprimanded, reduced in rank, retired, dismissed or punished in some other manner if the person had continued to be in the employment of the Board and if this Act had not been enacted.
All monetary obligations or transactions in Singapore are deemed to be expressed and recorded, and must be settled in the Singapore dollar unless otherwise provided for by law or validly agreed upon between the parties.
(a) a coin is deemed to have been illegally dealt with where the coin has been impaired, diminished, or lightened otherwise than by fair wear and tear, or has been defaced by having any name, word, device or number stamped or engraved on the coin, whether the coin has or has not been diminished or lightened by such defacement; and (b) a currency note is deemed to have been illegally dealt with where the note has been impaired, diminished or affected otherwise than by fair wear and tear, or has been defaced by writing or impressing on any note any mark, word, letter or figure or by perforation, cutting, splitting or in any other manner, whether the note has or has not been impaired or diminished by such defacement.
(a) draw, accept, make or issue any bill of exchange, promissory note or engagement for the payment of money payable to bearer on demand; or (b) borrow, owe or take up any sum or sums of money on bills or notes payable to bearer on demand.
[Repealed by Act 31 of 2017]
(a) in any size, scale or colour, use any photograph of or any drawing or design resembling any currency note or coin or part thereof, in any advertisement; or (b) import, manufacture, sell, circulate or otherwise distribute any merchandise or product containing such a photograph, drawing or design in any size, scale or colour.
The Currency Fund established under section 21 in force immediately before 15 August 2017 is dissolved on the date of the completion of the transfer of all of its assets and liabilities to the accounts holding the Authority’s assets and liabilities, as set out in the notification mentioned in section 6A(2) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act 1970. [31/2017]
(a) mutilates or destroys any currency note or coin; (b) causes any change in a coin so as to destroy or diminish its value or utility; (c) prints or stamps, or by any similar means writes, or impresses, on any currency note any mark, word, letter or figure; or (d) defaces any coin by stamping thereon any name or word, whether the coin is or is not thereby impaired, diminished or lightened, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000. [6/2019]
(a) subsection (1)(a) for any mutilation or destruction of a currency note; or (b) subsection (1)(c) for any printing or stamping, or by any similar means any writing or impressing, of any mark, word, letter or figure on a currency note, that is caused by the activation of the IBNS. [6/2019]
(a) subsection (1)(a) for any mutilation or destruction of a currency note; or (b) subsection (1)(c) for any printing or stamping, or by any similar means any writing or impressing, of any mark, word, letter or figure on a currency note, that is caused by the activation of the IBNS in any trial or demonstration of the applicant’s IBNS that is required by a licensing officer for the purpose of deciding the application. [6/2019]
“licensed security service provider” means a holder of a security service provider’s licence under the Private Security Industry Act 2007 — (a) to sell any IBNS; or (b) to employ an IBNS in carrying out cash-in-transit services; “licensing officer” means a licensing officer as defined in section 2 of the Private Security Industry Act 2007; “security service provider’s licence” means a security service provider’s licence granted under the Private Security Industry Act 2007. [6/2019]
An officer of the Authority is empowered to seize any currency note or coin tendered to the Authority, which the officer believes on reasonable grounds to be counterfeit and, upon such seizure, that note or coin is forfeited to the Authority.
(a) offending in the police officer’s view against section 14, 20 or 23; or (b) against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or creditable information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists of the person having contravened section 14, 20 or 23.
No prosecution for any offence under this Act may be instituted without the consent of the Public Prosecutor. [15/2010]
[Repealed by Act 24 of 2003]
The Authority may make such regulations as may be required from time to time for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act or prescribing anything that may be prescribed.
(a) the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (called in this section the Board) shall be dissolved; (b) currency notes and coins issued by the Board before 1 October 2002 shall for all purposes be deemed to have been issued by the Authority; (c) the reserves accumulated by the Board before the current term of office of the Government shall be added to the reserves accumulated by the Authority before such term; and (d) all assets and moneys of the Currency Reserve Fund shall be transferred to the Currency Fund.
This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.
Bill : G.N. No. 802/1896 First Reading : 3 December 1896 Second Reading : 22 July 1897 Third Reading : 2 September 1897 Commencement : 31 August 1898
Bill : G.N. No. 21/1899 First Reading : 17 January 1899 Second Reading : 31 January 1899 Third Reading : 28 February 1899 Commencement : 30 January 1901
Bill : G.N. No. 2/1903 First and Second Readings : 3 July 1903 Notice of Amendments : 3 July 1903 Third Reading : 3 July 1903 Commencement : 3 July 1903
Bill : G.N. No. 156/1904 First Reading : 19 February 1904 Second Reading : 4 March 1904 Third Reading : 18 March 1904 Commencement : 18 March 1904
Bill : G.N. No. 1429/1904 First Reading : 16 December 1904 Second Reading : 20 January 1905 Third Reading : 17 March 1905 Commencement : 17 March 1905
Bill : Information not available First and Second Readings : 29 January 1906 Notice of Amendments : 29 January 1906 Third Reading : 29 January 1906 Commencement : 29 January 1906
Bill : G.N. No. 1176/1905 First Reading : 15 September 1905 Second Reading : 6 October 1905 Third Reading : 16 February 1906 Commencement : 16 February 1906
Bill : G.N. No. 754/1906 First Reading : 24 August 1906 Second Reading : 31 August 1906 Third Reading : 14 September 1906 Commencement : 14 September 1906
Bill : Information not available First and Second Readings : 22 October 1906 Notice of Amendments : 22 October 1906 Third Reading : 22 October 1906 Commencement : 22 October 1906
Bill : G.N. No. 1182/1908 First Reading : 6 November 1908 Second Reading : 13 November 1908 Third Reading : 27 November 1908 Commencement : 2 December 1908
Bill : Information not available First, Second and Third Readings : 7 September 1917 Commencement : 7 September 1917
Bill : G.N. No. 1197/1917 First Reading : 24 September 1917 Second Reading : 1 October 1917 Notice of Amendments : 1 October 1917 Third Reading : 1 October 1917 Commencement : 2 October 1917
Bill : G.N. No. 815/1918 First Reading : 1 July 1918 Second Reading : 29 July 1918 Notice of Amendments : 29 July 1918 Third Reading : 29 July 1918 Commencement : 1 August 1918 (section 4)
Bill : G.N. No. 578/1919 First Reading : 28 April 1919 Second Reading : 12 May 1919 Third Reading : 26 May 1919 Commencement : 30 May 1919
Operation : 28 November 1921
Bill : G.N. No. 819/1923 First Reading : 28 May 1923 Second Reading : 25 June 1923 Notice of Amendments : 3 September 1923 Third Reading : 3 September 1923 Commencement : 1 October 1923
Operation : 1 August 1926
Operation : 1 September 1936
Bill : G.N. No. 197/1937 First Reading : 15 February 1937 Second Reading : 26 April 1937 Notice of Amendments : 29 August 1938 Third Reading : 29 August 1938 Commencement : 21 October 1938
Bill : Information not available First, Second and Third Readings : Information not available Commencement : 1 April 1946
Bill : G.N. No. S 577/1949 First Reading : 20 December 1949 Second and Third Readings : 22 February 1950 Commencement : 22 March 1950
Note: This Ordinance repealed the Currency Proclamation (Proclamation No. 4) (British Military Administration G.N. No. 6/1945) and amended the Currency Ordinance, 1938 (Ordinance 23 of 1938).
Bill : S 269/1951 First Reading : 17 July 1951 Second Reading : 21 August 1951 Notice of Amendments : 21 August 1951 Third Reading : 21 August 1951 Commencement : 1 January 1952
Commencement : 28 May 1954
Operation : 1 July 1956
Commencement : 4 March 1957
Commencement : 3 June 1959
Bill : 30/1959 First Reading : 22 September 1959 Second and Third Readings : 11 November 1959 Commencement : 20 November 1959 (section 4 read with the First Schedule)
Commencement : 20 November 1959
Bill : Information not available First, Second and Third Readings : 21 September 1960 Commencement : 1 January 1961
Bill : 5/1967 First Reading : 27 February 1967 Second and Third Readings : 13 March 1967 Commencement : 7 April 1967 (Parts I and II; sections 19 and 22; Part IV; and section 32) 12 June 1967 (sections 11 to 18, 20, 21, 23 to 27 and 33 to 35)
Commencement : 7 April 1967
Bill : Information not available First, Second and Third Readings : 5 December 1967 Commencement : 19 November 1967
Bill : 2/1968 First Reading : 24 January 1968 Second and Third Readings : 21 May 1968 Commencement : 31 May 1968 (section 2 read with the Schedule)
Bill : 9/1969 First, Second and Third Readings : 11 June 1969 Commencement : 27 June 1969
Operation : 1 April 1971
Bill : 35/1973 First Reading : 11 July 1973 Second and Third Readings : 26 July 1973 Commencement : 1 September 1973 (section 2 read with the Schedule)
Bill : 1/1982 First Reading : 3 March 1982 Second and Third Readings : 26 March 1982 Commencement : 15 April 1981 (section 10) 30 April 1982 (except section 10)
Commencement : 30 April 1982
Operation : 30 March 1987
Bill : 32/1990 First Reading : 9 November 1990 Second and Third Readings : 20 December 1990 Commencement : 1 February 1991
Bill : 4/1991 First Reading : 3 January 1991 Second Reading : 14 January 1991 Notice of Amendments : 14 January 1991 Third Reading : 14 January 1991 Commencement : 30 November 1991 (section 2 read with item (7) of the Schedule)
Operation : 9 March 1992
Bill : 29/1995 First Reading : 7 August 1995 Second and Third Readings : 27 September 1995 Commencement : 1 May 1996
Operation : 30 May 1998
Bill : 46/1998 First Reading : 12 October 1998 Second and Third Readings : 26 November 1998 Commencement : 31 December 1998
Operation : 1 August 1999
Bill : 23/2002 First Reading : 8 July 2002 Second and Third Readings : 23 July 2002 Commencement : 1 October 2002
Operation : 31 December 2002
Bill : 21/2003 First Reading : 16 October 2003 Second and Third Readings : 10 November 2003 Commencement : 1 January 2004 (section 13 read with item (2) of the Schedule)
Bill : 1/2007 First Reading : 22 January 2007 Second and Third Readings : 12 February 2007 Commencement : 30 June 2007 (section 18)
Bill : 11/2010 First Reading : 26 April 2010 Second Reading : 18 May 2010 Third Reading : 19 May 2010 Commencement : 2 January 2011 (section 430 read with item 30 of the Sixth Schedule)
Bill : 25/2017 First Reading : 8 May 2017 Second and Third Readings : 4 July 2017 Commencement : 15 August 2017 (section 38)
Bill : 53/2018 First Reading : 20 November 2018 Second and Third Readings : 14 January 2019 Commencement : 14 March 2019
Bill : 45/2020 First Reading : 3 November 2020 Second and Third Readings : 5 January 2021 Commencement : 1 March 2021 (section 15(3))
C.P. Council Paper G.N. No. S (N.S.) Government Notification Number Singapore (New Series) G.N. No. Government Notification Number G.N. No. S Government Notification Number Singapore G.N. Sp. No. S Government Notification Special Number Singapore L.A. Legislative Assembly L.N. Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian Subsidiary Legislation) M. Act Malayan Act/Malaysia Act M. Ordinance Malayan Ordinance Parl. Parliament S.S.G.G. (E) No. Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary) Number S.S.G.G. No. Straits Settlements Government Gazette Number
This Act has undergone renumbering in the 2020 Revised Edition. This Comparative Table is provided to help readers locate the corresponding provisions in the last Revised Edition.