Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) acts as the central bank of Brunei Darussalam, has the sole right to manage and issue legal tender in the form of notes and coins for Brunei Darussalam.

Prior to the formation of AMBD in 2011, the first modern Brunei Darussalam currency was issued by Brunei Currency Board (BCB) in 1967.

In 2004, BCB was renamed to Brunei Currency and Monetary Board (BCMB) and since then more polymer banknotes were issued to replace previous paper series.

In general, polymer notes tend to be more hygienic, durable and less prone to counterfeit compared to paper notes, a press release stated.

The History of Brunei Darussalam currency notes

There are two types of banknotes in circulation, the paper series and the polymer series. There are very few paper banknotes in circulation today as AMBD retains all paper banknotes returned by the banks and no longer reissue them.

Currently, AMBD only issues polymer notes.

1967 series (Paper notes)

On June 12, 1967, BCB issued and circulated the very first Brunei notes in denominations of BND1, BND5, BND10, BND50 and BND100 to the banks and the public, and withdrew the currency notes of the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. On August 22,1967, BCB issued and circulated the first of Brunei Darussalam's coins of 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents to the banks and public.

The coins of the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo were then withdrawn. On the obverse of the 1967 paper money and coinage is the portrait of Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam, the 28th Sultan of Brunei.

1972, 1989, 1992 AND 2000 series (Paper notes)

The notes and coinage issued after 1967 depicted the portrait of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the 29th Sultan of Brunei.

There were more paper notes series being issued since 1967. There were the 1972, 1989, and 2000 series.

1996, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011 AND 2013 series (Polymer notes)

In 1996, BCB for the first time introduced the polymer notes of BND1, BND5 and BND10. In 2004, BCMB introduced the BND50 and BND100 polymer notes. The BND100 polymer note won the Gold Medal award in the 22nd National Print Award (2005), Australia in the category of Security Printing.

The note was judged on its security features, design and the quality of printing.

In 2006, BCMB introduced the new BND500, BND1,000 and BND10,000 polymer notes. This completes the conversion from paper to polymer series for all denominations in use.

In 2007, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement (CIA) between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore, BCMB introduced BND20 polymer commemorative notes in collaboration with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

The BND20 and SGD20 polymer commemorative notes issued by the two countries were jointly launched on the same day. The CIA, which took effect on June 12, 1967, allows Brunei Darussalam and Singapore to accept and exchange each other's currency at par without charge.

In 2011, AMBD introduced a new series and design of BND1, BND5 and BND10 polymer notes for circulation.

In 2013, AMBD issued a new polymer series for denominations BND10 and BND100. – Courtesy of AMBD

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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