Catalog
50 Dollars
| Issuer | Government of the Straits Settlements |
|---|---|
| Year | 1901 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 50 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS Promises to pay the bearer on demand FIFTY DOLLARS at Singapore Local Currency for value received. 1st February 1901 CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in green, the reverse is dominated by a finely engraved central vignette set within an oval frame, showing a tiger walking to the left through a naturalistic landscape. The vignette is enclosed by elaborate guilloche lacework incorporating floral and foliate motifs, with large ornamental corner pieces at each angle of the note. |
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| Comments |
The Straits Settlements currency boards of this period operated under severe practical constraints — the colony had no central bank, and note issuance was managed directly by the colonial government through London-contracted printing. De La Rue had held the contract since the earliest Straits issues, and the 1901 series reflects that continuity rather than any redesign impulse.
The $50 denomination placed this note firmly in the merchant and agency-house tier of commerce. Penang, Malacca, and Singapore each saw very different circulation patterns at the high end, with Singapore's trading houses absorbing the bulk of large-denomination paper. Survival rate for this specific note is low — high-value colonial issues of this vintage were typically redeemed promptly and destroyed, and the 1901 series predates most systematic archival retention.