Ah, the 1968 Singapore $1 coin! You've got your hands on a piece of history, but is it a piece that will let you retire to a private yacht? Let's take a look.
This particular coin is from Singapore's very first series of circulation coins, affectionately known as the "Sea Life" series. Your one-dollar coin is a rather chunky fellow, made of copper-nickel and weighing in at a substantial 16.85 grams. It's the kind of coin that makes a satisfying thud when you drop it.
Now, for the million-dollar question that's probably closer to a few-dollar question: what is it worth? In 1968, a whopping 5,000,000 of these coins were minted. This means it's not exactly what you'd call a rare bird. Finding one isn't like spotting a unicorn; it's more like finding a surprisingly interesting pigeon.
Its value, as with all coins, is a slave to its condition. If your coin looks like it's been through a few decades of paying for kopi-o and chicken rice, its value might hover around a couple of U.S. dollars. However, if you have a pristine, uncirculated version that has never seen the inside of a cash register, its value could climb to the $15 mark. As the eBay listings show, if it's been professionally graded and encased in a little plastic tomb, a dealer might ask for even more.
So, while your 1968 Singapore dollar coin is a fantastic piece of numismatic history, it's probably not your ticket to fabulous wealth. It's a cool keepsake from the early days of the republic, but you might want to hang on to your day job.
