Singapore coins minting money for some collectors

SINGAPORE – While one-cent and five-cent coins may have gone out of favour at the shops, they appear to be drawing some interest from collectors and buyers at auction sites.

Take the five-cent coin issued in 1989, which is made of aluminium and bronze. The asking price on the online platform VCoins is €10 ($14.80).

The 1981-issued $10 coin has an asking price of almost €58.

Mr Jacky Heng, who runs a coin shop at People’s Park Centre, said customers who are looking for the cupro-nickel $1 Lion Merlion coin, produced from 1967 to 1985, are willing to pay about 100 times the value.

“Those produced in 1978 can fetch about $100. The mintage was especially low that year,” said Mr Heng.

Since January 2026, he has been seeing more customers at his shop, after

gold and silver prices hit record highs

.

“More people have come to buy from my shop, hoping to make a profit,” said the 65-year-old, who has been running his shop for a decade now. The interest is not just in Singapore.

In 2025, a 1987 Year of the Rabbit 12-ounce gold coin was sold at an auction in Hong Kong for US$36,000 ($46,000).

The coin, produced by Singapore Mint, was originally sold as a bullion- or gold bar-equivalent.

University student Kelvin, who prefers to be known by his first name, said he tries to buy the more affordable copper-nickel and silver almanac coins every year.

But over the last two months, he noticed that the demand for silver and gold almanac coins has been strong.

“When I wanted to buy a few copies of the silver coins, they were out of stock,” said the electrical and electronic engineering student at Nanyang Technological University.

The 26-year-old became interested in coin and currency collecting, or numismatics, when he was in Primary 3.

In 2022, his paternal grandfather gave him a collection of currency notes and 1,000 coins, including 100 from the Singapore Chinese Almanac Coin Series.

The series, which features the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, runs in 12-year cycles.

The coins are made of materials ranging from the most accessible copper-nickel and nickel-plated zinc to more expensive metals like silver and gold.

Kelvin said the almanac coins he was given, two years before his grandfather died, were mostly the affordable copper-nickel variety.

He added: “My grandfather liked them because of their design, and wanted to make it a set for collection purposes. He also believed that they would bring him wealth and good luck.”

Singapore Mint, which produces the Singapore Chinese Almanac Coin Series, said demand for the series has remained steady over the years.

“Growing interest in precious metals has widened the appeal of our offerings across various customer groups,” said a spokesperson for Singapore Mint.

“This was particularly evident with the

launch of Lion Bullion investment-grade gold bullion

in 2025, which drew attention from a diversified mix of customers, including those looking for products with long-term value.”

Some coins can fetch a high asking price – the five-ounce 2026 Singapore Lunar Horse, which is a 999.9 Fine Gold Proof coin, costs $40,800. It is not part of the almanac series.

Singapore Mint said there are other factors influencing purchasing decisions, not just the value of the metals.

“Overall demand is also shaped by the specific coin theme, the popularity of the zodiac animal for that year, and the craftsmanship and design of the collection,” said its spokesperson.

“Together, these elements determine how each release resonates with collectors and the wider public.”

Good investment

The first Singapore Chinese Almanac Coin Series was released in 1981 to strong demand, with the cheapest – the $10 uncirculated nickel coins – being the most popular. There were 180,000 coins sold. 

“The Singapore Chinese Almanac Coins continue to appeal strongly to longstanding collectors, while we are also seeing a gradual increase in interest from newer and younger consumers,” said Singapore Mint.

“Many of them are purchasing these coins as meaningful keepsakes to mark personal milestones, such as the birth of a child.”

They also make for a good long-term investment, said Mr Don Lee, the owner of CJG Collections, a coin and notes shop at People’s Park Centre.

The 44-year-old said: “The coins combine intrinsic metal value with rarity and collector demand.”

Numismatic Society Asia, a coin and notes society based in Singapore, said valuation is not solely dependent on the metal content.

“Popular coins, which are in very limited quantities, can be very expensive. Other factors include the previous metal content and condition of the coin,” said a spokesperson for the society.

For Kelvin, the value of a coin is not tied just to the retail price.

His grandfather, whom he was very close to, would use his collection to teach him about Singapore’s history.

Events like the Japanese Occupation were visualised with his grandfather’s stash of banana notes – the currency used at that time. 

After his grandfather died in 2024, Kelvin continued collecting coins and notes and started selling off some of the duplicates. 

His favourite coins are the Straits Settlements $1 pieces, which feature the reigning British monarch of their respective eras.

These coins can sell for between $100 and $1,500.

The gold coins are just too expensive for him, but he plans to add to his collection those from the almanac series.

“It’s a meaningful way to continue my grandfather’s collection and remember him,” he said, adding that he intends to pass his collection of more than 500 coins down to the next generation.