Malaya and British Borneo dollar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Malaya and British Borneo dollar was the currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo and Brunei from 1953 to 1967. Malaya continued to use this currency after independence in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, as did Singapore after its independence in 1965.

Contents

The Malayan and British Borneo dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. It was subdivided into 100 cents and replaced the Sarawak dollar, British North Borneo dollar and Malayan dollar (also used in Singapore and Brunei) at par. Like its predecessor, it was pegged at one dollar to 2 shillings 4 pence sterling.

In 1967, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was replaced by three new currencies: the Malaysian ringgit, the Singapore dollar and the Brunei dollar, all at par. The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo, was finally wound up in 1979.

When the pound sterling was devalued in November 1967, existing Malaya and British Borneo dollar banknotes (pegged at 2s. 4d.) lost 15% of their value, but continued to be legal tender until 1969, at the reduced value of 85 Malaysian cents per old dollar. Notes issued in the new currencies were not devalued. This led to a general strike, or hartal, and riots in Penang.

The symbol of the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was $.

Throughout its lifetime, the Malayan and British North Bornean dollar had remained pegged with the British pound at 2s. 4d. ($60 = £7).

Coins were available in 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.

Denomination Dominant Color Front Back Printed Date
$1 blue Elizabeth II State emblems of the then 16 states March 21, 1953
$5 green
$10 red
$50 blue
$100 violet and brown
$1,000 violet
$10,000 green

Denomination Dominant Color Front Back Printed Date
$1 blue Sailing boat Sailing boat and State emblems of the then 5 states March 1, 1959
$10 red Farmer plowing with ox State emblems of the then 5 states March 1, 1961

Note that this coloring theme still live on in today's three successor currencies.

  • Albert Pick (1996). in Neil Shafer, George S. Cuhaj, Colin R. Bruce II (editors): Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues to 1960, 8th ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-469-1. 
  • (2003) in Chester L. Krause, Cliffor Mischler, Colin R. Bruce II, et al. (editors): 2004 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901-present, 31st ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87349-593-4. 


Preceded by:
Sarawak dollar (post-WWII)
Reason: creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
Currency of Sarawak
19531963
Currency of Malaysia
19631967
Note: formation of the Federation
Succeeded by:
Malaysian ringgit
Location: Malaysia
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
Preceded by:
British North Borneo dollar (post-WWII)
Reason: creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
Currency of British North Borneo
19531963
Preceded by:
Malayan dollar (post-WWII)
Reason: creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
Currency of Malaya
19531963
Currency of Singapore
19531963
Succeeded by:
Singapore dollar
Location: Singapore
Reason: Independence
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
Currency of Brunei
19531967
Succeeded by:
Brunei dollar
Reason: Currency Agreement
Ratio: at par, or 60 dollars = 7 British pounds
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