On 14 May 2012, SingPost will open a new post office at Bishan. The new Bishan Post Office is
located at:

51 Bishan Street 13
#01-03
Bishan Community Club
Singapore 579799

Operating hours as follows:

Mondays to Fridays
Saturdays
Sundays & Public Holidays

9.30am to 6.00pm
9.30am to 2.00pm
Closed

The new Bishan Post Office will provide a wide range of postal, remittance and agency services as
well as the 24-hour SAM will also be available at this office.

Please note that we will be releasing one rubber stamp for the official opening on that day.

The following 5 metal datestamps will also be provided:

BISHAN
BISHAN A
BISHAN B
BISHAN C
BISHAN D

Bank Negara Malaysia has announced that the new Malaysian banknotes series will be introduced into circulation from 16 July 2012, replacing the current series that has been in circulation for over ten years. Themed ‘Distinctively Malaysia’, the banknotes feature intricate illustrations of the nation’s culture and traditions. In this series, the RM 2 banknote was no longer issued, while a new RM 20 banknote was included in the line-up.

The fourth series of Malaysian banknotes consists of six denominations, including RM 1 (Traditional Pastimes: Wau Bulan), RM 5 (Wildlife: Rhinoceros Hornbill), RM 10 (Flora: Rafflesia Azlanii), RM 20 (Marine Life: Hawksbill, Leatherback Turtle), RM 50 (Agriculture and Technology: Oil Palm, Biotechnology) and RM 100 (Natural Wonders: Mount Kinabalu, Gunung Api Valley).

The obverses of the banknotes retain the portrait of the first Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Tuanku Muhammad. In addition, other common motifs on the banknotes include Malaysia’s national flower (Rosa-sinensis hibiscus) and patterns of traditional songket weaving in the background.

The smaller denominations of banknotes (RM 1, RM 5) are more commonly used in day-to-day transactions and printed on polymer to increase their level of durability. The larger denominations remain printed on paper.

Incorporating modern printing technology and security features, the fourth series of Malaysian banknotes contains a pixel watermark portrait with highlight numeral, as well as the use of micro lens thread and iridescent patch. Existing security features which are retained in the fourth series include perfect registration, multicolour latent image, intaglio printing, microprinting, colour shifting security thread, holographic stripes and UV elements.

Bank Negara Malaysia has also released a commemorative folder containing the fourth series of Malaysian banknotes on 22 December 2011. The complete set, limited to 50,000 sets and priced at RM 300, consists of six banknotes of the same serial number. Currently, low serial numbers – AA0001500 and below – have not been observed, except for AA0000001 which is used throughout BNM’s website. Two smaller folders, one containing the RM 20 banknote (sold for RM 30) and another containing the RM 1 and RM 5 banknotes (sold for RM 15) were also available, with a more generous supply of 500,000 sets.

If you have been to Malaysia in the past few years, you would have already noticed the new RM 50 note in circulation. This banknote was first introduced in December 2007 to commemorate Malaysia’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. The first 50 million pieces (AA0000001 to AE9999999) of the note is overprinted with the logo of the 50th Anniversary of Independence on the reverse, including 20,000 sets sold in a limited edition folder. A number of these overprinted notes continue to exist in circulation alongside those which does not contain the overprint (AF0000001 onwards). The new RM 50 banknotes released in December 2011 have 3-letter prefixes (AAA0000001 to AAA0050000).

Image: Bank Negara Malaysia Website

Wet markets are a common sight in many neighbourhoods around Singapore, and is part and parcel of the weekly routine of a number of residents they serve. It is said to meet the basic needs of the community, providing a convenient space for interaction among members of the public. The stallholders would use ice to ensure that the seafood is fresh, and from time to time, clean their stalls with water. Due to the wet floors, these markets are commonly known as wet markets.

Four new stamps featuring common sights in wet markets were released on 18 April 2012.

Back in the 19th century, markets used to comprise loose clusters of vendors and peddlers with their wares spread out neatly on the ground or in baskets. In 1822, a market was constructed near the north end of Market Street, under the order of Sir Stamford Raffles. In the 20th century, more wet markets were developed to house street hawkers.  Many of these markets were integrated with the development of public housing in the 1950s and 1960s, as part of a neighbourhood centre, gathering residents around the area.

Today, there 107 markets cum hawker centres located across Singapore. Over the next decade, 10 more hawker centres will be built, with emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness. Eventually, wet markets will be drier and their existence will be very much a part of history.

Denomination: 4 designs of 80 c
Stamp size: 40 mm by 30 mm
Perforation: 16
Sheet content: 10
Designer: Andrew Tan (Drewscape)

Images and adapted text: Singapore Post

The Singapore International Coin Fair 2012 is held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, from 30 March 2012 to 1 April 2012. Several national mints have set up their booths there, including that of Singapore, Canada, Mexico, North Korea, Thailand and United Kingdom. Of course, a complete set of coins depicting the various sports for the London 2012 Olympics are also available.

A stamp set containing the Year of the Dragon stamps from both China and Singapore is given free to people who register as a member at the Singapore Gold Coins Investment Pte Ltd booth. Registration for the membership is free. Upon registration, one will receive the set of stamps placed in a nicely designed commemorative folder.

Banknote collector Vincent and I headed down to the coin fair this morning, which was not too crowded. One possible reason was that Mavin International holding their auction of world coins and banknotes on the same day, drawing some collectors over. I managed to obtain some banknotes to add to my collection, including the latest 2012 Malaysian banknotes folders.

In addition, we also got hold of the 2003 Vietnamese coin set, which is seldom seen in general circulation these days. The five coins include the denominations of VND 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000.

This year, over 60 dealers and exhibitors have set up booths at the fair. With a number of international dealers and exhibitors at the fair, the variety of coins and banknotes available are definitely higher than what you would find in local shops.

Also on display is the manual coin press machine by the Singapore Mint. This machine requires one to spin the handle with maximum force, leaving a two-sided impression on the metal planchet. This has to be done one coin at a time, and would usually take a few seconds in comparison with up to 800 coins per minute by automated machines today. One can choose to mint their own coin with a purchase from the nearby Singapore Mint retail booth. It is definitely a good experience to mint your own coin! One side of the coin contains the Merlion symbol and the words ‘The Singapore Mint’, while the other side contains an illustration of Marina Bay Sands. Following the fair, this coin press will be displayed at the Singapore Coins and Notes Museum (SCNM) located in Chinatown.

You may probably have seen the advertisement about the event in the local papers. If you have not seen it, entire newsprint pages containing the advertisements are pasted on the wall, near the entrance of the exhibition hall.

On 12 March 2012, two new stamps featuring the yellow burhead (Limnocharis flava) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) were released by Singapore Post. These two stamps are part of the Pond Life Definitives series.

The yellow burhead featured on the 1st Local stamp has yellow cup-shaped flowers and grows up to nearly one metre above water. In several Southeast Asian countries, as well as India, the young leaves and stems are traditionally eaten as a vegetable. While its seeds are dispersed by water, water birds and animals, this plant is commonly used to feed pigs and fish.

Shown on the 2nd Local stamp is the water lettuce. It has light green leaves arranged like a lettuce and can grow up to 14 centimetres long. They float on the water surface with its long roots submerges in water, as the leaves have parallel veins, wavy margins and are covered in short hairs that form basket-like structures that trap pockets of air and increase its buoyancy. Rarely, one may see its small, white flowers.

Stamp Size: 30 mm x 27 mm
Perforation: 14 x 14
Printer: Joh Enschede Security Print
Designer: Eric Kong (Design Vizio)

Images by Singapore Post
Text adapted from Singapore Post