Malaya and British Borneo dollar
4034764
222690962
2008-06-30T17:15:37Z
190.81.73.39
/* External links */
{{Infobox Currency
|currency_name_in_local = <small>ringgit{{languageicon|ms|Rumi}}</small><br/> <small>ريڠڬيت{{languageicon|ms|Jawi Malay}}</span> </small>
| image_1 =
| image_title_1 =
| iso_code =
| using_countries = Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, British Borneo and Sarawak
| inflation_rate =
| inflation_source_date =
| subunit_ratio_1 = 1/100
| subunit_name_1 = cent
| symbol = $
| used_coins = 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 sen
| used_banknotes = 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 1000, 10,000 dollars
| issuing_authority = [[Bank Negara Malaysia]]
| issuing_authority_website =
| }}
The '''Malaya and British Borneo dollar''' (known as the '''ringgit''' in [[Malay Language|Malay]], [[Jawi]]:ريڠڬيت) was the [[currency]] of [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]], [[Singapore]], [[Sarawak]], [[British North Borneo]] and [[Brunei]] from [[1953]] to [[1967]]. Malaya continued to use this currency after independence in [[1957]] and the formation of [[Malaysia]] in [[1963]], as did Singapore after its independence in [[1965]].
==History==
The Malayan and British Borneo dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. It was subdivided into 100 ''cents'' and replaced the [[Sarawak dollar]], [[British North Borneo dollar]] and [[Malayan dollar]] (also used in [[Singapore]] and [[Brunei]]) at par. Like its predecessor, it was pegged at one dollar to 2 [[shilling]]s 4 [[pence]] [[sterling]].
In 1967, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was replaced by three new currencies: the [[Malaysian ringgit]], the [[Singapore dollar]] and the [[Brunei dollar]], all at par. The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo, was finally wound up in [[1979]].
When the [[pound sterling]] was devalued in November 1967, existing Malaya and British Borneo dollar banknotes (pegged at 2s. 4d.) lost 15% of their value, but continued to be legal tender until 1969, at the reduced value of 85 Malaysian cents per old dollar. Notes issued in the new currencies were not devalued. This led to a general strike, or [[hartal]], and riots in [[Penang]].
The symbol of the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was [[Dollar sign|$]].
Throughout its lifetime, the Malayan and British North Bornean dollar had remained pegged with the [[British pound]] at 2s. 4d. ($60 = £7).
==Coins==
Coins were available in 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.
==Banknotes==
===1953 Series===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
!colspan="7"|1953 Series
|-
!colspan="2"| Image !!rowspan="2"| Value !!rowspan="2"| Main Colour !!colspan="2"| Description !!rowspan="2"| Date of issue
|-
! Obverse !! Reverse !! Obverse !! Reverse
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$1 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$1 ]]
| $1
| Blue/pink
|rowspan=8| [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]]
|rowspan=8| [[State emblem of Malaysia|State emblems]] of the [[Federation of Malaya]] and its constituent components, [[Singapore]], [[Sabah]], [[Sarawak]] and [[Brunei]]
|rowspan=8| [[March 21]], [[1953]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_5Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$5 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_5Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$5 ]]
| $5
| Green/yellow
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$10 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$10 ]]
| $10
| Red/green
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_50Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$50 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_50Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$50 ]]
| $50
| Blue/green
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_100Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$100 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_100Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$100 ]]
| $100
| Violet/pink
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1000Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$1000 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1000Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$1000 ]]
| $1000
| purple/yellow
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10000Dollars_front.jpg|97px|$10000 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10000Dollars_back.jpg|97px|$10000 ]]
| $10000
| green/multicoloured
|-
|}
All this notes bear the date [[21 March]] [[1953]], and signed by W.C. Taylor, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioner of Currency. The 1, 5 and 10 dollars notes were printed by [[Waterlow & Sons Ltd.]], the 50 and 100 dollars notes were printed by [[Bradbury Wilkinson|Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.]] and the 1,000 and 10,000 dollars notes were printed by [[De La Rue|Thomas de la Rue & Co. Ltd.]]. As a safeguard against forgery, a broken security thread and the watermark of a lion's head were incorporated in the paper before printing.
===1959 Series===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
! Front !! Back !! Denomination !! Dominant Color !! Printed Date
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1Dollars_front_1959.jpg|97px|$1 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_1Dollars_back_1959.jpg|97px|$1 ]]
| $1 || blue || Sailing boat || Sailing boat and [[State emblem of Malaysia|State emblems]] of the [[Federation of Malaya]], [[Singapore]], [[Sabah]], [[Sarawak]] and [[Brunei]] || [[March 1]], [[1959]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10Dollars_front_1959.jpg|97px|$10 ]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#000000"| [[Image:Malaya&BritishBorneo_10Dollars_back_1959.jpg|97px|$10 ]]
| $10 || red || Farmer plowing with ox || [[State emblem of Malaysia|State emblems]] of the [[Federation of Malaya]], [[Singapore]], [[Sabah]], [[Sarawak]] and [[Brunei]] || [[March 1]], [[1961]]
|}
'''First Type of $1 Note'''
Although these notes bear the date [[1 March]] [[1959]], they were not released to the public until [[1 June]] [[1959]]. They were printed by [[Waterlow & Sons Ltd.]], on paper that corporated a broken gold security thread on the right and a [[Malayan tiger]]'s head watermark in centre.
'''Second Type of $1 Note'''
It was exactly similar in design and bore the same date, but the colour varied slightly from the first issue. By the [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]] and [[British Borneo]] Currency Agreement of [[1960]], which came into force on [[1 January]] [[1961]], the [[Federation of Malaya]]was given increased representation on the Currency Board. it was agreed that the Federation should nominate two members, one of whom would be the Chairman; and the other four participating governments. The [[Federation of Malaya]] and [[Singapore]] representatives had 3 votes each, and each of the other members had one vote. Under the new agreement, the powers previously exercised by the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]] were vested in the newly constituted Board.
The next note, although it was dated [[1 march]] [[1961]], but not put into circulation until [[28 August]] [[1961]]. It was printed by [[De La Rue|Thomas de la Rue & Co. Ltd.]],and for the first time incorporated 2 security threads; one the normal broken gold thread slightly to the right of centre of the note, and the other a line of unbroken metallic thread closer to the right hand edge. the two security threads were set about 1¼ inches apart from each other.
Note that this coloring theme still live on in today's three successor currencies.
==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{numis cite SCWPM|date=1960.8}}
*{{numis cite SCWC|date=2004}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
*[http://www.globalfinancialdata.com/gh/GHC_Histories.xls Global Financial Data currency histories table]
*[http://users.erols.com/kurrency/asia.htm Tables of modern monetary history: Asia]
{{n-start}}
{{n-before|currency=[[Sarawak dollar|Sarawak dollar (post-WWII)]]|reason=creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency|ratio=at par, or 8.57 dollars = 1 British pound}}
{{n-currency|location=[[Sarawak]]|start=[[1953]]|end=[[1963]]}}
{{n-currency|rowspan=4|location=[[Malaysia]]|start=[[1963]]|end=[[1967]]|note=formation of the Federation}}
{{n-after|rowspan=3|currency=[[Malaysian ringgit]]|location=[[Malaysia]]|ratio=at par, or 8.57 ringgit = 1 British pound}}
{{n-before|currency=[[British North Borneo dollar|British North Borneo dollar (post-WWII)]]|reason=creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency|ratio=at par, or 8.57 dollars = 1 British pound}}
{{n-currency|location=[[British North Borneo]]|start=[[1953]]|end=[[1963]]}}
|-
{{n-before|rowspan=3|currency=[[Malayan dollar|Malayan dollar (post-WWII)]]|reason=creation of a common Board of Commissioners of Currency|ratio=at par, or 8.57 dollars = 1 British pound}}
{{n-currency|location=[[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]]|start=[[1953]]|end=[[1963]]}}
|-
{{n-currency|location=[[Singapore]]|start=[[1953]]|end=[[1963]]}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Singapore dollar]]|location=[[Singapore]]|ratio=at par, or 8.57 dollars = 1 British pound|reason=Independence}}
{{n-currency|colspan=2|location=[[Brunei]]|start=[[1953]]|end=[[1967]]}}
{{n-after|currency=[[Brunei dollar]]|ratio=at par, or 8.57 dollars = 1 British pound|reason=Currency Agreement}}
{{n-end}}
{{dollar}}
[[Category:Obsolete currencies in Malaysian history]]
[[Category:British Malaya]]
[[Category:British North Borneo]]
[[Category:Economy of Brunei]]
[[Category:Kingdom of Sarawak]]
[[Category:Modern obsolete currencies]]
[[Category:British rule in Singapore]]