Catalog
1 Dollar - George V
| Issuer | Government of the Straits Settlements |
|---|---|
| Year | 1925-1930 |
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| Printer | Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London, United Kingdom |
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| Obverse description | Printed in red on a pale ground, the obverse carries a central vignette of a tropical coastal scene with palm trees and a native dwelling, flanked by large guilloche rosettes at each corner bearing the numeral 1. The Straits Settlements Coat of Arms is placed at the upper centre, with the issuer's title in bold letterpress across the middle band. Chinese characters appear along the top border, a Jawi inscription runs along the bottom border, and the serial number is printed twice — once at upper right and once at lower left — alongside a manuscript signature for the Currency Commissioners and the printed date. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 票銀厘日明峽叻 ONE ONE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS ONE DOLLAR PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND AT SINGAPORE LOCAL CURRENCY FOR VALUE RECEIVED FOR THE CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON |
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| Comments |
The Straits Settlements dollar of this period was pegged to the Straits dollar at a fixed rate tied to sterling — a deliberate colonial monetary arrangement that frustrated local merchants who found the currency poorly suited to regional trade with the Dutch East Indies and Siam. The Government of the Straits Settlements issued these notes directly rather than through a chartered bank, an administrative choice that reflected London's reluctance to grant a full central banking mandate to any single commercial institution in the colony.
De La Rue printed the series in London and shipped finished notes to Singapore for issue — a supply chain that created real distribution lags. The P#9 series ran across a five-year window, meaning individual notes can sometimes be dated within that span by manuscript or printed date, though the type itself carries no single fixed issue date.