Statute Details
- Title: Coins to be Issued on 22nd September 1998
- Act Code: CA1967-S444-1998
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Currency Act (Chapter 69)
- Key Legal Hook: Made “pursuant to section 17(5)” of the Currency Act
- Instrument Number: No. S 444
- Publication/Date (as shown in timeline): 28 Aug 1998
- Commencement/Operational Date: Coins to be issued on 22nd September 1998
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per the legislation portal)
- Parts: Not applicable (instrument is structured as a short schedule-based notification)
- Key Provisions: The operative notification is contained in the Schedule (denominations and characteristics)
What Is This Legislation About?
This subsidiary legislation is a formal notification issued under the Currency Act (Chapter 69) to inform the public and market participants that Singapore will issue a specific set of coins on a particular date—22nd September 1998. In practical terms, it is not a broad regulatory framework; it is an administrative/legal instrument that sets out the denominations and physical characteristics of the coins to be issued.
The legal significance lies in the fact that coin design and specification are not left to informal administrative practice. Instead, the law requires that the relevant details be “notified for general information” pursuant to a specific enabling provision in the Currency Act. This ensures that the coinage system is legally anchored, consistent, and publicly verifiable.
For practitioners, the instrument is best understood as a schedule-based specification supporting the wider currency regime. It helps prevent disputes about what coins are legal tender in practice, and it provides a reference point for financial institutions, cash-handling businesses, vending operators, and collectors who need certainty about coin attributes.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Enabling authority and purpose (notification for general information)
The instrument states that it is made “Pursuant to section 17(5) of the Currency Act” and that it is “hereby notified for general information” that the denominations and characteristics of coins to be issued on 22nd September 1998 are “as shown in the Schedule.” This language is important: it signals that the legal effect is to publish the official coin specifications, rather than to create a new regulatory regime.
2. The operative content is in the Schedule
Although the extract provided does not reproduce the Schedule’s detailed table, the structure is clear. The Schedule is where the legal specifications live—typically including the denomination(s) (e.g., cents) and the characteristics (e.g., design features, inscriptions, and other physical attributes). The Schedule is therefore the primary source for anyone needing to identify or verify the coins.
3. Identification of the issuing authority
The notification refers to coins being issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore. This matters for legal accountability and administrative law purposes: it ties the coin issuance to the statutory body empowered to manage currency matters under the Currency Act. If a dispute arises (for example, about whether a particular coin falls within the officially issued set), the issuing authority and the date of issue provide context for interpretation.
4. Date-specific issuance
The instrument is explicitly tied to a single issue date: 22nd September 1998. This date specificity is a key practical feature. Coin characteristics can change over time due to redesigns, commemorative issues, or updates to security and durability features. By fixing the date, the notification helps distinguish between different coin series and versions.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Despite being labelled as a “legislation” instrument, this document is structurally simple. It follows a common pattern for Singapore currency-related subsidiary legislation:
(a) Title and formal heading identifying the subject matter (“Coins to be Issued on 22nd September 1998”).
(b) Enacting formula indicating the statutory basis—here, section 17(5) of the Currency Act.
(c) The Schedule containing the substantive information: the denominations and characteristics of the coins to be issued.
(d) Administrative metadata such as instrument number (No. S 444), publication date (28 Aug 1998 as shown in the timeline), and portal status/versioning information.
For legal research and compliance work, the Schedule is the “must-read” component. The rest of the instrument primarily provides the legal linkage to the Currency Act and the public notification function.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This instrument is a public notification rather than a regulatory code directed at a defined class of regulated persons. Its immediate audience is the general public, but it is also relevant to businesses and institutions that handle cash. In practice, the coin specifications affect:
• Financial institutions (banking operations, cash management, and teller systems);
• Retailers and cash-handling businesses (point-of-sale systems, change-making, and cash reconciliation);
• Vending and ticketing operators (coin validators and acceptance criteria);
• Cash-in-transit and security providers (sorting and authentication);
• Collectors and numismatists (identification and provenance).
Legally, the instrument applies in the sense that it defines what coins are officially issued on the stated date and what their characteristics are. While it may not impose direct duties (such as licensing obligations), it becomes relevant wherever parties need to determine whether a coin corresponds to the officially specified series.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the instrument is short, it plays an important role in the integrity and certainty of Singapore’s currency system. Coinage is a technical and security-sensitive area. If coin specifications were not formally published, disputes could arise over whether a particular coin is genuine, whether it is part of the current issue, and how it should be treated by automated systems and cash-handling processes.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the notification provides a clear reference point. For example, if a coin validator or cash-processing system is updated to accept a new denomination or design, the operator needs authoritative specifications. The Schedule supplies those specifications in a legally recognised form.
For practitioners advising clients—whether in banking, retail technology, or dispute resolution—the instrument can be used to support factual assertions about coin characteristics and issuance dates. In disputes involving counterfeit coins, misidentification, or contractual questions about what constitutes “valid currency” for a transaction, the existence of an official schedule-based notification strengthens the evidential basis for identifying the relevant coin series.
Finally, the instrument illustrates how Singapore’s currency law uses a combination of a principal Act (the Currency Act) and targeted subsidiary notifications. This legislative design allows the currency authority to update coin details without amending the entire Currency Act each time a new coin series is introduced.
Related Legislation
- Currency Act (Chapter 69) — in particular, section 17(5) (the enabling provision for coin specification notifications)
- Legislation timeline / versioning materials associated with SL 444/1998 (useful for confirming the correct version as at a relevant date)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Coins to be Issued on 22nd September 1998 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.