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500 Dollars Year of the Rooster
| Issuer | Singapore Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1981 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed rooster, the zodiacal symbol of the Chinese lunar year 辛酉 (Xin You, 1981), stands in bold relief at the centre of the field, facing right with elaborate plumage and tail feathers rendered in high relief. The denomination legend 500 DOLLARS arcs prominently across the upper portion of the field within a beaded inner border. Two Chinese characters 辛酉 denoting the cyclical year appear below the rooster on either side, with the inscription HALF OUNCE FINE GOLD positioned along the lower exergue. The entire design is enclosed within a continuous beaded border. |
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| Mintage | 1981 sm - Proof - 12,000 |
| Additional information |
Singapore's Lunar New Year gold series launched in 1981 with this Rooster issue, making it the first in what became one of the most consistently produced Asian bullion programs of the late twentieth century. The Singapore Mint had only been operating independently for roughly a decade at that point, having separated from the British Royal Mint's operations in the region following full sovereignty.
The .916 fineness — 22-karat — follows the traditional standard used across much of Southeast Asian gold jewelry trade, a deliberate choice to align the coin's perceived value with regional gold-buying habits rather than the .999 fine standard gaining traction in Western bullion markets at the time.