S$10 commemorative coin launched to mark 100th birth anniversary of founding PM Lee Kuan Yew

SINGAPORE — To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the launch of a S$10 coin, with applications starting from Monday (May 15).

Only Singaporeans and permanent residents may apply for up to five of the gold coins, which is named the LKY100 coin. Applications close on June 9 and the coins will be available for collection from September, the central bank said in a media release.

The LKY100 coin is a tribute to Lee's “strategic vision, boldness and indomitable spirit that transformed Singapore from a regional trading port to a global manufacturing, business and financial hub, creating opportunities for all Singaporeans”, it added.

The late prime minister was born on Sept 16, 1923 and died in March 2015 at the age of 91.

Minted in aluminium bronze, the gold coins have a diameter of 30mm, about 22 per cent larger than the current third series of S$1 circulation coins of 24.65mm. 

Designed by Singapore artist Weng Ziyan, the front side of the coin shows a dual image just below the Singapore Coat of Arms that would display Lee’s birth year when viewed from one angle and "2023" when viewed from another.

The reverse side of the coin features a portrait of Lee, accompanied in the foreground by the Marina Barrage, representing his vision to build a freshwater reservoir in the city.

The backdrop features the skyline of the Raffles Place financial district, as well as the Fullerton Hotel and National Gallery Singapore, which the MAS said are “two heritage buildings that have witnessed significant milestones in Singapore’s history”.

The Fullerton Hotel was previously known as the Fullerton Building and housed the General Post Office, while National Gallery Singapore was the former building for the Supreme Court and City Hall.

Similar commemorative coins were issued in the past to celebrate milestones in Singapore's history.

In 2015, MAS launched three special coins: A S$2 cupro-nickel coin, a S$5 silver coin and a S$50 gold coin to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year of independence, as well as a set of six commemorative currency notes. 

APPLYING FOR THE COINS

Eligible persons may apply for up to five LKY100 coins each.

After applying for the coins online, successful applicants will receive an SMS notification on their phones from mid-August.

Banks taking part in the distribution of the coins include DBS and POSB, OCBC, United Overseas Bank, the Bank of China, HSBC, Maybank and Standard Chartered.

MAS said that no payment for the coins will be requested at the point of application and successful applicants will pay for their coins when collecting them at their selected bank branches.

LKY100 coins that are not exchanged during the collection window will later be made available for exchange at the banks by the general public, including non-Singaporeans.

Applications can be made online via the MAS' application form.