The Legacy Lives On: Celebrating Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th Birth Anniversary With a Commemorative Coin
When someone asks you to name a famous politician from Singapore, who do you think of first? For many, the answer is undoubtedly Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.
Mr Lee was a prominent Singaporean politician who played a critical role in shaping the country’s modern history. He served as the first Prime Minister of Singapore for over three decades, from 1959 to 1990, and was widely regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore.
His pragmatic approach to governance, emphasis on education and meritocracy, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of Singapore and its people made him an iconic figure in Singaporean history.
In honor of Mr Lee’s 100th birth anniversary, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is issuing a commemorative $10 coin (LKY100 coin) as a tribute to his remarkable contributions to Singapore’s success story. This coin celebrates Mr. Lee’s legacy and reminds us of his pragmatic, visionary leadership that transformed Singapore into a prosperous, cosmopolitan city-state.
The LKY100 coin embodies the values of resilience, innovation, and excellence that Mr. Lee stood for, inspiring Singaporeans to continue striving for progress and prosperity.
If you’re interested in applying for this commemorative coin, you’ll be pleased to know that the process is simple.
And, as it turns out, this is not the first time that MAS has released commemorative coins. So, let’s find out more about this fascinating piece of Singaporean history!
TL;DR: How to Apply for LKY100 Commemorative Coin
Click here to jump:
- Purpose and design of LKY100 coin
- How to apply for the LKY100 coin
- Beware of potential scams
- Frequently Asked Questions
Purpose And Design of LKY100 Coin
Designed by local artist Mr Weng Ziyan, the $10 LKY100 coin design showcases a portrait of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, with the Marina Barrage in the foreground representing his vision of building a freshwater reservoir to strengthen Singapore’s water resilience.
The skyline of Raffles Place financial district forms the backdrop, with two other significant heritage buildings — the Fullerton Hotel (formerly the Fullerton Building/General Post Office) and National Gallery Singapore (formerly the Supreme Court and City Hall), both of which witnessed critical milestones in Singapore’s history.
The LKY100 coin is gold in colour, minted in aluminium bronze, with a diameter of 30mm.
On the back of the coin, you will see the usual Singapore Coat of Arms, and beneath it, a dual latent image that depicts Mr. Lee’s birth year ‘1923’ from one angle, and his 100th birth anniversary ‘2023’ from another, commemorating his life and legacy on this special occasion.
This kind of reminds me of Sergi Cadenas’ oil paintings that change into different images as you move from one side to another.
How to Apply And Collect the LKY100 Coin
The application starts on 15 May 2023 and will end on 9 June 2023.
It is entirely online and is open to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents of Singapore only.
Each applicant can apply for up to five coins and is required to indicate his or her identity number, mobile number, and preferred bank branch to collect the coins. An SMS notification will be sent shortly after the application to confirm that it has been received.
In the event that demand is too high, applicants may not be allocated the quantity of coins requested, but you can be assured that you will be allocated at least one coin.
There is also no need for any upfront payment at the point of application. All successful applicants will pay for the coin(s), at its face value of $10 each, when collecting the coin(s) at the banks.
- Online application: https://go.gov.sg/lky100coin-order
- Participating bank branches and their locations: List of banks
For those with older relatives who are not digitally savvy, you may help them apply as long as you have their personal details, or they may approach any Community Centres/Clubs or ServiceSG Centres.
Collection Period
The LKY100 coins are available for collection from September 2023 and an SMS reminder will be sent to your registered mobile number sometime in mid-August.
The SMS notification will include information on the number of coins allocated to you, the collection period, and the bank branch to collect the coins.
Do note that the LKY100 coins that are not exchanged during the collection window will subsequently be made available for exchange at the banks by the general public, including non-Singaporeans.
Beware of SMS Scams & QR Code Scams
Scams have been going around for a while now, and QR code scams are something new.
If you receive an SMS with a link leading you to a site requesting payment of the coins which you have ordered, do not click or reply to the SMS!
There is no need to make any upfront payment for the coin as it will be available for exchange at its face value of $10 from September 2023.
In addition, SMS notifications from MAS sent to Singapore mobile numbers will be identifiable by the “MAS” sender ID which is registered with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry. All SMS notifications from MAS for the LKY100 coin will not contain any clickable link nor ask for any upfront payment.
Similarly, if you spot any publicity ads which display a QR code, the QR code should lead you to a Gov.sg webpage. Please do ensure that the link starts with “go.gov.sg” before proceeding with the application!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can your chance of being allocated a coin increase if you apply more than one coin?
Regrettably, no. If there are enough coins to meet the total demand, you’ll get the quantity you requested.
However, in case of high demand, an electronic allocation will determine the final allocation and you may not receive the quantity you requested, but you’ll get at least one coin.
Can you change the number of coins in your application or exchange the coins at a different branch?
Yes, you can. All you need to do is to submit another application within the application period, and the most recent application will supersede all earlier submissions.
Can you apply for the coins without a mobile number?
A mobile number is required so that you can receive an SMS notification regarding the number of coins allocated and the collection details. Also, during the application process, a One-Time-Password (OTP) will be sent via SMS to the mobile number for verification purposes and would need to be entered into the online form before the application can be submitted.
If you do not have a mobile number, you can consider seeking assistance from your family/relatives/friends who have a mobile number.
What should you do if you are not receiving an OTP SMS after keying your mobile number?
If you still do not receive the OTP SMS after checking if you have keyed in your mobile number correctly, please call MAS at 6225 5577 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, excluding Public Holidays) or write to MAS so that they can assist you.
If you do not receive an SMS within 24 hours of submitting the application, you may submit another application, provided it is within the application period.
Can you sell the coins back to MAS?
It’s good to note that MAS does not participate in secondary market transactions of commemorative or old series currencies, so therefore, you can’t sell them back.
Will the banks accept the coin for deposit? Can you use the coins for payment?
This is a one-off issuance and most members of the public will likely collect them as keepsakes.
As such, banks and vendors will not be calibrating their machines to accept the commemorative coin as it is not cost-effective to do so, which means your coin deposit or ATM notes machines will not accept these coins.
Nonetheless, all commemorative coins are legal tender and can be used to pay for goods and services in Singapore.
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