---
title: "What is on Singapore's banknotes?"
description: "The Singapore dollar: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/singapore/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in Singapore?

**The money in Singapore: Singapore dollar (SGD, S$)**

5 denominations in issue · Polymer

Every note carries Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first president, with a different national theme on the reverse. The S$10,000 note, discontinued in 2014, was worth around US$8,000 and was the highest-denomination note in ordinary circulation in the world. Singapore and Brunei have a currency interchangeability agreement dating to 1967 under which each accepts the other's notes at par.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| S$2 | Yusof bin Ishak; education on the reverse |
| S$5 | Yusof bin Ishak; garden city |
| S$10 | Yusof bin Ishak; sport |
| S$50 | Yusof bin Ishak; the arts |
| S$100 | Yusof bin Ishak; youth |

## The unusual part

Singapore and Brunei dollars are accepted interchangeably at par in both countries, by treaty.

## Notes that were withdrawn

| Note | When | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| S$10,000 | 2014 | Discontinued as an anti-money-laundering measure. It was the highest-value banknote in general circulation anywhere in the world. |
| S$1,000 | 2021 | Discontinued for the same reason. Both remain legal tender. |

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** Singapore dollar — ISO code SGD, symbol S$
- **Printed on:** Polymer
- **Survives a wash?:** Yes. Polymer notes come out of a washing machine intact.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** S$100 — Yusof bin Ishak; youth

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in Singapore?

S$2: Yusof bin Ishak; education on the reverse. S$5: Yusof bin Ishak; garden city. S$10: Yusof bin Ishak; sport. S$50: Yusof bin Ishak; the arts. S$100: Yusof bin Ishak; youth.

### Are Singapore's banknotes polymer or paper?

Polymer. Polymer notes last two to three times as long as paper ones and survive a washing machine.

### Why was the S$10,000 withdrawn?

Discontinued as an anti-money-laundering measure. It was the highest-value banknote in general circulation anywhere in the world. (2014.)

## Related pages

- [Singapore](https://atoneplace.net/country/singapore/)
- [The flag of Singapore](https://atoneplace.net/flag/singapore/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)