Friday, July 17, 2009

Ships on Banknotes - 004 - Singapore $1

Date of Issue: January 12, 1987

Many thanks to blogger friend, Ms. Malini (Encyclobanknotes), Singapore for helping me add the $1 and $2 banknotes of the ship series to my collection.

This banknote is of 3rd series of Singapore Banknotes commonly termed as "ship" series issued and used between 1984 and 1999. The series starts with the merchant craft of bygone days, and progresses to the modern bulk carrier which is featured on the highest denomination.

The vessel depicted in this banknote is "Sha-chuan" junk (the European word for China's wooden sailboats) or sand junk, 3-masted, flat-bottomed craft that has been used prominently in the rivers and bay area around Hangzhou.

During the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there were 5,000 sand ships in Shanghai alone, and over 100,000 in the whole country. Sand ships were widely used, serving both river and sea purposes. Historical records reveal that Chinese sand ships reached Java (Indonesia) as early as in the Song Dynasty (about the 10th century). Frescos depicting sand ships can still be found in India and Indonesia.

Source: wikipedia, mas.gov.sg, chinaculture.org

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