This postcard from the Netherlands shows golden leaves of autumn. In the northern hemisphere, this season is from September to November each year. On the postcard is a Dutch phrase:
‘Voor ze echt gaan vallen, worden ze eerst van goud, neem je de tijd hiervoor…’
This can can be translated as:
‘Before they fall from the trees, they first turn gold, take your time to enjoy…’
Sent: 13 October 2009
Received: 21 October 2009
New $100 paper banknotes have been spotted in Singapore a few days ago, carrying the signature of Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Upon obtaining the note, the first thing which I noticed was the difference in intensity of colour on the new $100 note, in particular the dark brown colour.
On the reverse of the notes, there are two square dots printed below the word ‘Youth’. Check it out for yourself. The next time you reach for a bill, whether in one of your favourite restaurants, at the bank, at a café or florist – take a closer look! There you will notice the tiny details, like the dots. You might even find other symbols. According to the MAS, there may be other symbols found on the note. My current hypothesis is that these dots represent the year of printing. Since January 2008, $10 notes with one square dot were found in circulation. From October 2009, $10 notes contained two square dots. The former is believed to be printed in 2007, while the latter is believed to be printed in 2008 or 2009.
Alternatively, these dots may represent the year in which the notes were introduced into circulation. However, the size of the square dots on the $10 polymer notes is slightly larger than that on the $100 paper notes. Additionally, the distance between the square dots on the $10 polymer notes is less than that on the $100 paper notes. Depending on your interpretation, these two symbols may be considered as different.
For note collectors, the first prefix for the new $100 notes is believed to be 1AA. In order to learn more about the new $100 notes, we really need your help.
When you come across a $100 note, please note down the serial number.
Also, take note of any symbol used at the bottom left corner (see picture). Simply leave a comment below, drop me an email or send me an SMS. This will help us establish a database of serial numbers, as well as their corresponding symbols.
As the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) have merged, certain features on the new $100 note have been updated:
Why are these notes still printed on paper, not polymer? According to the MAS, polymer notes can last three to four times longer than their paper counterparts. In my opinion, $100 notes are not used as frequently in daily transactions. As a result, they have a longer lifespan than the $2 paper notes. As the cost for printing paper banknotes is slightly lower, the use of paper banknotes for the $100 denomination is believed to be more cost-effective.
New $1000 paper notes are also reported to be found in circulation starting with prefix 1AA. If you have scans of the obverse and reverse of the $1000 banknote, please send it to me via email. When the scan appears in one of my future posts, I will include your name right below the scan. Anybody knows if there is a new variety of the $10000 note?
Later in the week, leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will meet in Singapore for a week-long forum. More than 10000 delegates from the 21 member countries, including ministers and leaders will be present, including United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Logo: Image courtesy of APEC Singapore 2009
According to the APEC Singapore 2009 website, the logo depicts the 21 APEC economies coming together to convene at a single point, working towards unity, cooperation and synergy among member economies to advance common interests. The Spark, made up of 21 strokes, represents the 21 member economies, signifying the dynamism within the APEC community and a catalyst that inspires new ideas and initiatives to further the vision of APEC.
The 21 APEC members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
In order to commemorate this event, SingPost is releasing a new stamp issue today, entitled ‘APEC 2009 Meetings’. This set of four stamps, two gutter pairs of two stamps each, showcases different places in Singapore. The 1st Local stamp shows the skyscrapers of Singapore’s Central Business District. On the 80c stamp, there is a picture of the night view of Clarke Quay, a riverside quay in Singapore. The $1.10 depicts Singapore as an aviation hub. Featured on the $2.00 stamp is one of the busiest ports in Singapore.
Starting from today, The Restaurant will upload postcards from time to time for your viewing pleasure. As there are many postcards coming in every week, we sincerely apologise if your postcard is not shown here. Please do not be upset, it may appear on this website some time later. For those who are interested in exchanging a postcard, please drop me an email.
Today’s featured postcard is a black-and-white postcard. It shows a beancurd vendor walking down a narrow street in Xitang, an old town located in China. A long shadow is cast behind the man, suggesting that it is early in the morning. Xitang is a water town, divided into eight sections by nine converging rivers. The various sections are linked to one another by stone bridges.
Sent: 10 October 2009
Received: 27 October 2009
Something that I would have never thought of was to register a first-day cover. On the day when the Singapore-Indonesia Joint Issue was released, I met a few experienced stamp collectors at the post office in Harbourfront Centre after the launch. That was when I realised that it was possible to send a registered mail to myself without having to write my name and mailing address on the first-day cover.
One of the collectors said, ‘The stamps on the first-day cover have already exceeded the amount of postage required for registered mail!’
According to the branch manager Jasmine, many collectors have been registering their first-day covers by affixing a barcode label on the cover. In the past, collectors had to write their own address on the cover in order to send it as a registered mail. Today, there is no need to write the mailing address on the cover. However, the catch is that the item has to be marked as delivered by the post office only on the next working day. The status of the registered article can be tracked online by the registered article number.
