Before you build a retirement plan around the coin jar in your drawer, here is the honest version of Singapore old coins value: almost every coin minted since 1967 is still legal tender and worth exactly what it says. The premium ones are the exceptions, mostly low-mintage circulation dates like the 1978 $1 and early commemoratives like the 1969 gold $150. Even then, what a coin actually sells for depends on its date, metal and condition, not its age. This guide walks through which coins carry a real premium in 2026, what dealers and auctions are paying, how the gold and silver run-up since January has moved prices, and how to redeem everything else at face value with zero fuss.
Three things decide whether an old Singapore coin is worth more than its face value: the metal it is struck in, how scarce that specific date is, and the condition it survives in. Age alone does almost nothing. A worn 1967 one-cent coin is still worth one cent; a pristine low-mintage date in the right metal can be worth a hundred times its face.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is clear that every note and coin it has issued since 1967, including commemorative pieces, stays legal tender. So the worst case for any ordinary coin is that you redeem it at face value at a bank. The upside only appears for a narrow set of scarce or precious-metal coins, and it is collector demand, not the law, that sets that price.
Singapore has issued three series of everyday coins. Knowing which series a coin belongs to is the first step in valuing it, because the scarce premiums hide inside specific dates of the First Series.
The First Series entered circulation on 20 November 1967 with six denominations designed by Stuart Devlin, each carrying a marine and flora theme (the seahorse 20-cent and lionfish 10-cent are the recognisable ones). The Second Series arrived from 2 December 1985 with a flora theme of local plants and flowers. The Third Series, issued 25 June 2013, swapped to national icons: the Merlion on the $1, the Port of Singapore on the 50-cent, Changi Airport on the 20-cent, public housing on the 10-cent and the Esplanade on the 5-cent.
These are realistic dealer and marketplace asking prices, not guaranteed sale prices. Treat them as 'from' figures: condition swings the number widely, and what a shop pays you is well below what it lists at. All prices below are as of June 2026 from dealer listings and auction records.
If you want a sense of how a small premium compounds versus simply leaving cash idle, our compound interest calculator makes the comparison concrete. Most coins are not an investment; they are a curiosity that happens to redeem at face value.
| Coin | Year(s) | Metal | Face value | Typical asking price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1 'Lion' (low-mintage date) | 1978 | Cupro-nickel | $1 | ~$100 |
| 5-cent coin (uncirculated, listed overseas) | 1989 | Aluminium-bronze | $0.05 | ~EUR 10 (~S$15) |
| $10 silver coin (10th Anniversary type) | 1976 | 0.500 silver | $10 | from ~$30 (proof) |
| 1969 gold $150 (150th Anniversary) | 1969 | 0.9167 gold, 24.88g | $150 | from ~$3,000+ |
| Year of the Rabbit 12oz gold | 1987 | Gold | n/a (bullion) | ~US$36,000 at auction (2025) |
Commemorative coins are a separate world from circulation coins. MAS issues them, and the Singapore Mint is its appointed numismatic coin contractor, producing pieces from SG50 sets to annual lunar bullion coins. Crucially, under the Currency Act these commemorative coins are legal tender, so they share the same face-value floor as ordinary coins.
The earliest and the precious-metal commemoratives are where collector value lives. The 1969 gold $150 marking the 150th anniversary of Singapore's founding had a mintage of 198,000 and contains 22.79g of gold; it now trades from a few thousand dollars because of both rarity and bullion content. The 1975 $10 silver coin for the 10th independence anniversary and its 1976 to 1977 follow-ons are entry-level silver collectibles, with the 1976 proof issued at $30.00 originally.
Modern issues are mostly priced at or near their metal value. The 2026 Singapore Lunar Horse five-ounce 999.9 fine gold proof coin retails around $40,800, a number driven almost entirely by the gold price rather than scarcity (Singapore Mint listing, as of June 2026).
Since January 2026, gold and silver have hit record highs, and Singapore coin dealers report more walk-in customers as a result. For collectors this matters in a specific way: it lifts the floor on any gold or silver coin, because the metal alone is worth more, while doing little for base-metal circulation coins.
A practical consequence is that the gap between a coin's collector value and its melt value has narrowed for silver and gold pieces. If your coin is precious metal, a dealer may quote close to the bullion value plus a thin numismatic premium. If you are weighing coins against more conventional ways to hold metal exposure, our guide to investing in gold in Singapore covers the cheaper, more liquid routes.
None of this turns a coin jar into a portfolio. Bullion-linked coins move with a volatile commodity, and physical coins carry wide buy-sell spreads. If you are thinking about metals as a hedge, understanding diversification matters more than chasing coin premiums.
Most coins fail this test, and that is fine. Run through it before you spend an afternoon at the dealers.
Condition is the biggest variable. A coin that has been cleaned, scratched or circulated heavily loses most of its premium. Collectors pay for original surfaces and sharp detail, which is why graded coins (slabbed and certified) command the highest prices.
If a coin is worth a premium, you sell it. If it is not, you redeem it at face value. Knowing the difference saves you from giving away a scarce date or, more commonly, from wasting time on common coins.
For selling premium pieces, the established coin shops at People's Park Centre are the traditional starting point, and international auction houses handle the high-value gold and silver lots. Expect dealers to pay below their listed prices; the spread is how they make money.
No, with a narrow exception. For the overwhelming majority of Singaporeans, the coins at home are worth face value, and that is the only number that matters. The premium market is real but small, illiquid and condition-sensitive, which makes it a hobby rather than a strategy.
The exception is if you already hold a genuinely scarce date or a precious-metal commemorative; those have meaningful resale value, especially with bullion prices high in 2026. Even then, treat any gain as a bonus on a collectible, not a planned return. If your goal is to grow money rather than collect, a savings goal plan backed by a high-yield account will do more, more reliably, than a coin jar ever will.
The companion question, whether your old paper money is worth anything, follows the same logic; our guide to old money notes in Singapore covers the rare notes that beat face value.
Most are not. Almost every Singapore coin trades at exactly its face value, and all coins issued since 1967 remain legal tender. Only scarce dates like the 1978 $1, precious-metal coins, and early commemoratives carry a real premium, and even then condition decides the price.
Among everyday coins, the 1978 cupro-nickel $1 'Lion' is the famous one, often asking around $100 due to a low mintage. Among commemoratives, gold pieces like the 1969 $150 (198,000 minted, 22.79g of gold) and vintage gold lunar coins reach thousands of dollars, driven by both rarity and the high 2026 gold price.
Yes. Every coin MAS has issued since 1967, including commemoratives, is legal tender. You can spend ordinary coins, deposit them at a bank, or redeem commemorative and numismatic coins at face value at any commercial bank, or through Certis CISCO, MAS' appointed coins operator.
No. Cleaning a coin scratches the surface and destroys most of its collector value. Collectors and graders pay a premium for original, untouched surfaces. Leave any coin you think might be valuable exactly as it is and let a dealer or grading service assess it.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.