Commemorative SG50 coins launched at tribute event to pioneering educators
The SG50 Commemorative Coins. Photo: Channel NewsAsia/Chan Luo Er
SINGAPORE — A new set of commemorative currency will be revealed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to mark the nation’s golden jubilee.
Minister of Education and chairman of the SG50 steering committee Heng Swee Keat launched the three SG50 coins today (April 4) at an event that gathered 11,200 pioneer educators and their guests.
Speaking at the event, Mr Heng thanked them for their pivotal role in shaping the nation. He said events of past weeks, where Singaporeans came together in unison was due to the education they had received which gave them a sense of identity, values and nationhood.
“The journey made by many Singaporeans to Parliament House where Mr Lee Kuan Yew lay in state, was a journey that started in your classrooms, where you taught them to be kind, to be grateful, to be responsible, to have a sense of togetherness,” he said. “It was a journey that was nothing short of inspiring.”
The coins launched on today — themed ‘Education, Building Our Nation Together’ — commemorate the role education has played in the growth of Singapore and reflect how education is our young nation’s largest currency.
The series comprise of a $2 cupro-nickel coin, a $5 silver coin and a $50 gold coin. It is a lead up to a series of commemorative notes that will be issued in the second half of 2015.
The $2 cupro-nickel coin (S$28) represents basic education at the primary and secondary levels, which equips our children with the skills, character and values that prepare them for the future.
The $5 silver coin (S$133) showcases higher education which provides students with the multiple pathways to achieving their aspirations.
The $50 gold coins (S$890) feature Singapore’s educators, who seek to bring out the best in every child.
The back of the coins bear the Singapore Coat of Arms with the year 2015.
The coins can be purchased individually or in a deluxe set (S$1,100). They will be sold by the Singapore Mint and issued on May 28. Pre-orders can be made online by May 15 at www.singaporemint.com. Coins that are oversubscribed will be subjected to balloting
Meanwhile the series of commemorative notes will be issued in the second half of 2015. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
