Board of Commissioners of Currency - Malaya

Board of Commissioners of Currency - Malaya 
The Malayan dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya, with a hiatus during the Japanese occupation (1942–1945).

The Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya came into being in October 1938 following the Blackett Report which recommended that the sole power of issuing currency for the various Malay States, including Brunei, and the Straits Settlements should be entrusted to a pan-Malayan Currency Commission. Sir Basil Blackett was appointed in 1933 by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to lead a commission to consider the participation of the various Malay States, including Brunei, in the profits and liabilities of the Straits Settlements currency. The Blackett Report was adopted by the Government of the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, Unfederated Malay States and Brunei. Legislation was enacted by the Straits Settlements Currency Ordinance (No. 23) of 1938, and ratified by the various states during 1939. The board started to issue currency in 1939.

In 1952 the board was renamed the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. See Malaya and British Borneo dollar.

Currencies issued

Banknotes in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 dollar notes were printed in the U.K. for circulation in Malaya in 1940. However, out of 27,000,000 one dollar notes and 5,600,000 five dollar notes of the same series despatched to Malaya before the Japanese invasion; 25,800,000 one dollar notes and 5,000,000 five dollar notes arrived. Of the remainder, 700,000 one dollar notes and 500,000 five dollar notes were seized by the Germans when one of their raiders captured the SS Automedon; and further 500,000 one dollar notes and 100,000 five dollar notes were lost when the carrying ship, the SS Eumanes, was sunk. As such, none of these notes were ever put into circulation by the Straits Settlement Government. Only the 10 dollars were issued for use in Malaya.

10 Dollars. King George VI. 1940.

The dollar (Malay: ringgit, Jawi: ريڠڬيت) was the currency of the British colonies and protectorates in Malaya and Brunei until 1953. It was introduced in 1939, replacing the Straits dollar at par, with 1 dollar = two shillings four pence sterling (60 dollars = 7 pounds).