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| This full-page ad was featured in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, on 11 May 1996. |
This $25 note is produced to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). This is the only second $25 note ever issued. The first $25 note is from the Orchid series. And coincidentally, this is also the second commemorative note issue; do you remember which is the first commemorative issue? :-)
There are two things that caught my attention about this note:
1. There's no prefix on the serial number; that's unique, very unique.
2. The location of the signature of Dr Hu Tze Tau. It was on the right-hand side of the note, on the "white" column where the water-mark can be found. Do you recall any other note(s) that has this layout? :-) (Clue: typically the signature is located at the bottom centre-left or centre-right after the subject.)
Uncut Sheet of 20-in-1 : S$822/- (3,000 sheets)
Single note in Cheque Book Packing : S$36/- (?)
Single Note in Folder Packing : S$34/- (?)
Total production of this commemorative issue: 300,000 notes.
As a collector I really hate this: the production numbers are too small for circulation, i.e. you never see one in circulation, so it's not for circulation; but it's too large for meaningful collection- 300,000 notes is not scarce, so it will be kept, hoarded, stuck!! Too precious to use, worthless to keep because it will never appreciate in value due to it's quantity!
You can still find Single Notes in Cheque Book or Folder packing still being put up for auction by a local auction house on behalf of MAS. Imagine 16 years later, they are still selling!! How much paper and opportunity costs lost??
Nevertheless, this is still a beautiful note worth collecting, for history sake and not for rarity. The premium of the issue price was only 64.4% for the uncut sheet and 44% for the single note in special packing.
