SINGAPORE - Those hoping to own a piece of history can now get their hands on special edition ez-link cards, bank passbooks or gold bars marking Singapore's bicentennial year.
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival, several companies have come up with collectible items.
Among them are special edition ez-link cards launched on July 9, with four designs featuring architecture and landmarks representative of four different periods in Singapore's development from a village settlement into a bustling metropolis.
The 1819 design captures Singapore's landscape of fishing villages while the 1869 card pays tribute to Singapore's shophouses, a historical architecture brought over by early Chinese immigrants.
The 1969 card features the iconic Dragon playground which symbolises Singapore's youth, while the 2019 design features the Marina Bay Sands.
Over 50,000 cards have been sold online. They are now only available at TransitLink ticket offices and selected SMRT passenger service centres.
OCBC Bank also launched a limited-edition passbook in two designs on July 7.
The first design has landmarks such as the Merlion, Gardens by the Bay and Singapore's national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim. The second design shows the fireworks seen annually on National Day and the shophouses next to Singapore river.
The passbooks will be given to the first 5,400 customers who deposit $30,000 in fresh funds into their OCBC savings account at any OCBC bank branch.
SK Jewellery also launched two gold bar sets earlier this month to commemorate the nation's bicentennial.
The first set has three 999 pure gold bars (2g each), representing colonial Singapore, a flourishing free port from 1824 to the 1960s; post-independence Singapore after 1965, and the country's future visions.
They cost between $1,199 and $1,819 and are limited to 1,819 sets.
The second option is a 999 pure gold bar (1g) in a garden city golden frame - on the bar is an illustration of traditional shophouses, with modern buildings in the background, highlighting the progress of Singapore. Prices start from $399.
