The Brunei dollar (
sign: B$,
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
: ''ringgit Brunei'',
currency code
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines alpha codes and numeric codes for the representation of currencies and provides information about the relationships between individual cu ...
: ''BND''), has been the
currency
A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins.
A more general ...
of
the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the
dollar sign
The dollar sign, also known as peso sign, is a symbol consisting of a capital " S" crossed with one or two vertical strokes ($ or ), used to indicate the unit of various currencies around the world, including most currencies denominated "p ...
$, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other
dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 ''sen'' (Malay) or ''
cents'' (English). The Brunei dollar is issued by the
Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam).
Under a Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 1967, the Brunei dollar is interchangeable with the
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar (sign: S$; code: SGD) is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencie ...
at par. As such, the Brunei dollar is accepted in Singapore as "customary tender"; likewise, the Singapore dollar is accepted in Brunei.
History
Early currency in Brunei included
cowrie
Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
The term ''porcelain'' derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (''porcellana'') du ...
shells. Brunei is also famous for its bronze teapots, which were used as currency in barter trade along the coast of northern
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
. The
Spanish-American silver dollar brought over by the
Manila galleons
fil, Galyon ng Maynila
, english_name = Manila Galleon
, duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years)
, venue = Between Manila and Acapulco
, location = New Spain (Spanish Empire) ...
was in wide use for
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
's international trade from the 16th to 19th centuries; the 19th century
Straits dollar was itself derived from the same coin.
Brunei issued
tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal.
Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...
coins denominated in
pitis in
AH1285 (
AD1868). These were followed by a one cent coin in
AH1304 (
AD1888). This cent was one hundredth of a
Straits dollar.
As a protectorate of
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in the early 20th century, Brunei used the
Straits dollar from 1906, the
Malayan dollar
The Malayan dollar ( Malay: ''ringgit'', Jawi: رڠڬيت) was the currency of the British colonies and protectorates in Malaya and Brunei until 1953. It was introduced in 1939, replacing the Straits dollar at par, with 1 dollar = two shillings ...
from 1939 and the
Malaya and British Borneo dollar
The Malaya and British Borneo dollar ( ms, ringgit; ms, رڠڬيت, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) was the currency of Federation of Malaya, Malaya, Singapore, Crown Colony of Sarawak, Sarawak, Crown Colony of North Bor ...
from 1953 until 1967, when it began issuing its own currency.
The Brunei dollar replaced the
Malaya and British Borneo dollar
The Malaya and British Borneo dollar ( ms, ringgit; ms, رڠڬيت, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) was the currency of Federation of Malaya, Malaya, Singapore, Crown Colony of Sarawak, Sarawak, Crown Colony of North Bor ...
in 1967 after the formation of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and the independence of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. Until 23 June 1973, the
Malaysian ringgit
The Malaysian ringgit (; plural: ringgit; symbol: RM; currency code: MYR; Malay name: ''Ringgit Malaysia''; formerly the Malaysian dollar) is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 ''sen'' (formerly ''cents''). The ringgit is issue ...
was exchangeable at par with the Singapore dollar and Brunei dollar. The
Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore. It administers the various statutes pertaining to money, banking, insurance, securities and the financial sector in general, as well ...
and the
Brunei Currency and Monetary Board
The Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB; ms, Bank Pusat Brunei Darussalam), formerly known as Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam (, AMBD) is the central bank of Brunei. It was established under the Monetari Brunei Darussalam Order, 2010, a ...
(now the Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam) still maintain the exchangeability of their two currencies. The dollar is accepted as "customary tender" in Singapore according to the Currency Interchangeability Agreement,
although it is not legal tender there.
History of coins used in Brunei
Coins were used in Brunei from the 10th century. The
Straits dollar was also used in Brunei from 1906.
Due to the close ties between
China and
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
, the first type of coins used in Brunei were Chinese coins. This was initially called ‘Pitis’. They were later known as ‘Kue’ when local ‘Pitis’ were introduced.
The local ‘Pitis’ coins had ‘Sultanate of Brunei’ stamped in front of the coin and the royal umbrella was imprinted at the back. These were issued from the 16th to the 19th century. Previous Islamic coins were also called the ‘Pitis’.
Another type of coin that was used in Brunei were ‘
Duit
The duit (plural: ''duiten''; en , doit) was a copper Dutch coin worth 2 ''penning'', with 8 duit pieces equal to one ''stuiver'' and 160 duit pieces equal to one ''gulden''. In Dutch Indonesia 4 duit pieces were equal to one ''stuiver''. ...
besi’ (which roughly translates to ‘Iron money’). Iron was considered valuable those days that it was used as money. 100 one-square inch pieces were valued at 1 dollar.
The last coin to be issued before the introduction of the Straits Settlements currency was the ‘Duit Bintang’, otherwise known as the ‘Star coin’ or the 'Star Cent'.
It is called the Star coin because of the star imprinted on the obverse of the coin. It was minted in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, in 1887.
It was made from
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
.
With the introduction of the Straits Settlements currency, the previously used coins were taken out of circulation. They were, however still used with certain exchange rates.
History of banknotes used in Brunei
![Straits Settlements - 1935 - $1 banknote (obverse)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Straits_Settlements_-_1935_-_%241_banknote_%28obverse%29.jpg)
The Straits dollar was introduced in Brunei in 1906. It was later replaced by the
Malayan dollar
The Malayan dollar ( Malay: ''ringgit'', Jawi: رڠڬيت) was the currency of the British colonies and protectorates in Malaya and Brunei until 1953. It was introduced in 1939, replacing the Straits dollar at par, with 1 dollar = two shillings ...
which was introduced to British colonies and Brunei in 1939. It replaced the Straits dollar at par with a 1:1 exchange rate. The Malayan dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency in Malaya. The board stopped issuing the Malayan dollar during the
Japanese invasion during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The Malayan dollar had the portrait of
King George VI in front of the note.
In 1952, the board was renamed the Board of Commissioners of Malaya and
British Borneo. The board then began to issue notes to
Malaya,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
,
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
,
British North Borneo
(I persevere and I achieve)
, national_anthem =
, capital = Kudat (1881–1884);Sandakan (1884–1945);Jesselton (1946)
, common_languages = English, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Sabah Malay, Chinese etc.
, go ...
, and
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
in 1953. This was known as the
Malaya and British Borneo dollar
The Malaya and British Borneo dollar ( ms, ringgit; ms, رڠڬيت, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) was the currency of Federation of Malaya, Malaya, Singapore, Crown Colony of Sarawak, Sarawak, Crown Colony of North Bor ...
.
In 1967, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was replaced by three new currencies: the
Malaysian dollar,
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar (sign: S$; code: SGD) is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencie ...
and the Brunei dollar, all at par.
The
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar (sign: S$; code: SGD) is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencie ...
is still interchangeable with the Brunei dollar today.
Coins
In 1967, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. Except for the bronze 1 cent, the coins were struck in cupro-nickel. In 1986, copper-clad steel replaced bronze. Later, in 2008, the 1 cent coins switched compositions to brass.
Banknotes
On 12 June 1967, the government (''Kerajaan Brunei'') introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 dollars. Notes for 500 and 1000 dollars followed in 1979. In 1989, the title on the paper money was changed to ''Negara Brunei Darussalam'', the official name of the country, and the Malay term for “State of Brunei, Abode of Peace.” 10,000 dollar notes were introduced the same year. All notes bear the denomination in Malay (in both
Rumi and
Jawi) and in English. The English denomination appeared on the obverse below the denomination in Malay on the earlier series, but now appears on the reverse together with the
Jawi.
Five series of notes have been issued. The colours of $1, $5, and $10 notes have been the same for all the series of banknotes
1967 series
First series (1967) – currency with the portrait of
Omar Ali Saifuddin III, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the 28th ruler of Brunei.
* $1 –
blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
* $5 –
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
* $10 –
red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
* $50 –
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model us ...
* $100 –
purple
Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, ...
1972 series
Second series – This series was the same as the first series with exception that the portrait of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin was replaced by the portrait of
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th and current ruler of Brunei. All subsequent currency has the portrait of Hassanal Bolkiah. In addition, two new higher denominations were issued in 1979.
* $1 ~ $100 like 1967 series
* $500 – pink
* $1000 – yellow
1989 series
Third series – the post independence series. This series was gradually being replaced by the fourth series.
* $1 – blue
* $5 – green
* $10 – red
* $50 – brown, green, orange
* $100 – purple
* $500 – orange
* $1,000 – red-violet, purple, olive
* $10,000 – green, orange
1996–2000 polymer and paper series
Fourth Series (1996–2000) all notes except for the polymer issues are no longer printed.
2004–2007 (polymer) series
Polymer banknote
Polymer banknotes are banknotes made from a synthetic polymer such as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Such notes incorporate many security features not available in paper banknotes, including the use of metameric inks. Polymer banknote ...
s were introduced in (2004) due to high cases of banknote forgery. All of them are polymer. The $100 note of this series has won a gold medal award for its security features in the 22nd National Print Award in Australia in May 2005.
The
S$10,000 and B$10,000 notes are the world's most valuable banknotes, worth US$8000 as of September 2014 (that are officially in circulation).
They are worth eight times as much as the next most valuable, the 1000
Swiss franc note (US$1063). From 6 November 2020, AMBD has announced it will stop printing B$10,000 notes to reduce the risk of money laundering. Brunei has also stopped the issuance of B$10,000 and is in the process of withdrawing it from active circulation.
2011 polymer series
* $1 – blue (2011)
* $5 – green and yellow (2011)
* $10 – red, yellow and brown (2011)
: To commemorate the 65th birthday of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Shortly after the notes were issued, the
Braille
Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille disp ...
dots on the upper left front corner of the new polymer notes are not raised. The Braille dots cannot be felt tactilely, and they are not accurately rendered as Braille numbers corresponding to the denominations. Specifically, the spacing of the dots is wrong, and they lack the lead-in character that indicates that numbers follow.
Commemorative banknotes
* $25 – purple and beige (1992)
:This was issued during the silver jubilee (25th anniversary) of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah acceding to the throne. The design is of the 1989 series of currency.
* $20 – yellow (polymer, 2007)
:On 27 June 2007, Singapore and Brunei celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement (since 12 June 1967) by joint-issuing commemorative $20 notes.
:The two authorities issue distinct versions of the new $20 notes. They are both yellow, 149 × 72 mm in size, and made of
polymer
A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part")
is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
. The reverses are almost identical except that the Brunei version has their state title in
Jawi script
Jawi (; ace, Jawoë; Kelantan-Pattani: ''Yawi''; ) is a writing system used for writing several languages of Southeast Asia, such as Acehnese, Banjarese, Kerinci, Maguindanaon, Malay, Minangkabau, Tausūg, and Ternate. Jawi is based ...
, while th
Singaporean versionhas the state title of Brunei in
Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern I ...
.
The obverse of the Singaporean version is similar to the current
Portrait Series, whereas the obverse of the Brunei version is similar to the $50 and $100 of the 2004 series.
:There is a limited edition set, which consists of both versions in a folder, with matching serial number. The notes have "40th Anniversary Currency Interchangeability Agreement" overprinted on obverse. In addition, the Singaporean version has the two countries' state crests above the commemorative text. Only 12,000 sets are available, 10,000 from the
Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore. It administers the various statutes pertaining to money, banking, insurance, securities and the financial sector in general, as well ...
, and 2,000 from the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board.
:The circulation version has been available since 16 July 2007.
* $50 - yellow (polymer, 2017)
: In 2017, both Brunei and Singapore issued $50 polymer banknotes in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of its Currency Interchangeability Agreement.
* $50 - yellow (polymer, 2017)
: In 2017, the
Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam issued a $50 polymer banknote, alongside a 50 cent coin, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sultan Hassan al-Bolkiah's accession to the throne. On the front it depicts the monarch's coronation alongside a portrait of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. One notable security feature of the note is the use of an
optically variable ink
Optically variable ink (OVI) also called color shifting ink is an anti- counterfeiting measure used on many major modern banknotes, as well as on other official documents ( professional licenses, for example).
The ink displays two distinct colo ...
called "spark live"
See also
*
Economy of Brunei
The economy of Brunei, a small and wealthy country, is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village traditions. It is almost entirely supported by exports of crude oil and natural ga ...
*
Brunei pitis
References
External links
Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam)
{{Portal bar, Asia, Money, Numismatics
Dollar
Currencies of Asia
Circulating currencies
Currencies of the Commonwealth of Nations
Economy of Brunei
Currencies of Brunei
Currencies introduced in 1967
Fixed exchange rate
1967 establishments in Asia