Tool·Lifes /Everything About Money
🌏 Asia

🇸🇬Singapore dollar

A managed float run by the MAS — Asia's boutique hard currency.

Also called: Sing dollar

SGD$

OverviewOrigins & ReformNotes & CoinsCentral BankCirculationFX & ReservesCrises & StressPayments Today
Singapore dollar — monetary symbol
Mrb Rafi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

SGDISO code
$Symbol
Monetary Authority of …Issuer
1967Origin
asiaFamily
28Reserve score

Singapore dollar is one of the units this atlas treats as a full monetary system — not only a ticker symbol. Its story runs from Singapore in 1967 through note design, central-bank practice and the FX role it plays today.

Scores on this site compare Singapore dollar with the other currencies in the atlas on reserve weight, global reach, stability, cash culture, design iconicity and policy autonomy. They are relative editorial judgements, not forecasts.

The seven chapters cover origins and reforms, the look of notes and coins, the issuer's mandate, where the money circulates, FX and reserves, crisis history, and how people pay with it now.

The profile

284292308565
  • Reserve weight28
  • Global reach42
  • Stability92
  • Cash culture30
  • Design icon85
  • Policy autonomy65
28
Reserve weight
42
Global reach
92
Stability
30
Cash culture
85
Design icon
65
Policy autonomy

Seven chapters on this currency

01

Origins & Reform

How Singapore dollar began in Singapore, the reforms that redefined it, and the eras that shaped its modern form.

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 02

Notes & Coins

Motifs, series and security features that make Singapore dollar recognisable in the hand.

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 03

Central Bank

How Monetary Authority of Singapore steers Singapore dollar — mandate, tools and institutional neighbours.

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 04

Circulation

Legal tender zones, pegs and how cash still compares with digital balances for Singapore dollar.

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 05

FX & Reserves

Educational view of pairs, reserve role and flows for Singapore dollar — not live rates.

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 06

Crises & Stress

Documented shocks — peg breaks, inflation spikes, funding squeezes — that reshaped Singapore dollar.

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 07

Payments Today

How people pay with Singapore dollar now — cards, instant rails, cash and CBDC experiments.

Read →

Frequently asked questions

What is the Singapore dollar?
Singapore dollar (SGD) is issued or defined under Monetary Authority of Singapore. A managed float run by the MAS — Asia's boutique hard currency.
Who issues Singapore dollar?
Monetary Authority of Singapore sets monetary policy and oversees the unit; physical production involves Singapore Mint.
Is this a live exchange rate?
No. Tool-Lifes /money is a static educational atlas. It explains regimes, history and design without live tickers.
Why does Singapore dollar matter globally?
Global importance comes from trade invoicing, reserve holdings, financial contracts and migrant remittances — measured here as relative scores, not prices.
What does the reserve-weight score mean?
It ranks how heavily central banks and global finance rely on this unit compared with others in the atlas — an editorial 0–100 score.
Where can I see banknotes?
The Design chapter covers major note and coin types; images come from Wikimedia Commons when a free licence is available.
How do crises appear here?
The Crises chapter summarises documented stress episodes — devaluations, peg breaks, inflation spikes — with lessons, not trading signals.
What about CBDC?
The Today chapter notes digital-payment rails and CBDC pilots where relevant. Most everyday balances remain cash and bank deposits.

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