Noted for some fine coin releases every year, especially the Macau Lunars, the Singapore Mint has for over a decade been producing coins based on the copious varieties of Orchids that are native to this young country. After a five-year series of coins called The Grandeur of Heritage Orchids Series, which comprised 10 coins and was released from 2006 to 2010, the mint started a new series called Native Orchids of Singapore to follow on. Also designed to be ten 1ozcoloured coins launched two-per-year for five years, the first debuted in 2011 and the last has debuted today.
Noted for their selective colouring and semi-rimless design, the coins have always been very attractive, not unexpected given the subject matter, and have always sold very well. One of the first coin series to be packaged in the increasingly popular latex suspended ‘Nimbus’ frame, this time with a custom texture applied to the surround, each of the two coins is available seperately with a mintage limited to 10,000 each, or as a two-coin set, also in a frame, with a mintage of 3,000. After a S$10 price drop on the coins last year, the mint has done the same again and dropped the price a further S$10 down to S$128.00 each . The two-coin set drops from S$276.00 to S$258.00 as well, always a welcome touch. Also continuing from previous years, the Singapore Mint has specially selected 500 of each of the two coins and had them slabbed in a similar way to that used by NGC and PCGS. The mint describes each coin as being chosen for “its superior proof quality standard”, so fairly safe to assume they’re ballpark with a 70-grade at the two big grading services, although it’s important to point out that these aren’t independantly graded. These are sold on a ballot scheme and tend to go quickly, despite the S$40 price hike.
The two new coins for 2015 follow the design style for the series to the letter and depict a pair of colouful orchids. The rear carries the coat-of-arms of Singapore, a country just recently celebrating 50 years as an independant state. As the last of this five-year, ten-coin series, we’ve yet to discover if there’s to be a new orchid series coming out. We hope so.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
Today, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched the fifth instalment of the Native Orchids of Singapore Coins series, marking the end of the commemorative coins series after four previous releases.
Minted by The Singapore Mint, the two orchid species featured are native to Singapore, Dendrobium leonis and Dendrobium secundum, the coin series pays homage to the beauty of over 200 species of orchids that once thrived in Singapore.
“It is a great honour to be presenting the final instalment of the Native Orchids of Singapore Coins series after the conferment of the World Heritage status on our beloved Botanic Gardens by UNESCO. The series symbolise how Singapore has managed to successfully cultivate greenery and soften the harshness of the metropolis,” said Mr Yip Pak Ling, Director at The Singapore Mint.
The innovative colouring technology injects life into the coins, capturing the tinge of red on the creamy yellow petals of the Dendrobium leonis and the densely packed purplish pink flowers with a contrasting orange lip of the Dendrobium secundum. The signature semi-rimless circumference of the coins also highlights a distinct feature that sets it apart from other coin series. The obverse of the coin bears the Singapore Arms with the year 2015. These worldwide-limited coins will be issued on 13 November 2015. The full series of Singapore orchid commemorative coins and medallions, will be showcased at The Singapore Mint’s Suntec City outlet throughout the month of November.
The two subjects for 2015 are;
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