What is BNB currency
The Brunei dollar (sign: B$, Malay: ringgit Brunei, currency code: BND), has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 sen (Malay) or cents (English). The Brunei dollar is issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam).
Under a Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 1967, the Brunei dollar is interchangeable with the Singapore dollar at par. As such, the Brunei dollar is accepted in Singapore as “customary tender”; likewise, the Singapore dollar is accepted in Brunei.
BNB Coins
In 1967, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. Except for the bronze 1 cent, the coins were struck in cupro-nickel. In 1986, copper-clad steel replaced bronze. Later, in 2008, the 1 cent coins switched compositions to brass.
BNB Banknotes
On 12 June 1967, the government (Kerajaan Brunei) introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 dollars. Notes for 500 and 1000 dollars followed in 1979. In 1989, the title on the paper money was changed to Negara Brunei Darussalam, the official name of the country, and the Malay term for “State of Brunei, Abode of Peace.” 10,000 dollar notes were introduced the same year. All notes bear the denomination in Malay (in both Rumi and Jawi) and in English. The English denomination appeared on the obverse below the denomination in Malay on the earlier series, but now appears on the reverse together with the Jawi.
Five series of notes have been issued. The colours of $1, $5, and $10 notes have been the same for all the series of banknotes.
1967 series
First series (1967) – currency with the portrait of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the 28th ruler of Brunei.
$1 – blue $5 – green $10 – red $50 – brown $100 – purple
1972 series
Second series – This series was the same as the first series with exception that the portrait of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin was replaced by the portrait of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th and current ruler of Brunei. All subsequent currency has the portrait of Hassanal Bolkiah. In addition, two new higher denominations were issued in 1979.
$1 ~ $100 like 1967 series $500 – pink $1000 – yellow
1989 series
Third series – the post independence series. This series was gradually being replaced by the fourth series.
$1 – blue $5 – green $10 – red $50 – brown, green, orange $100 – purple $500 – orange $1,000 – red-violet, purple, olive $10,000 – green, orange
1996–2000 polymer and paper series
Fourth Series (1996–2000) all notes except for the polymer issues are no longer printed.
$1 – blue $5 – green $10 – red $50 – brown, green and blue $100 – brown, orange $500 – orange
2004–2007 (polymer) series
Polymer banknotes were introduced in (2004) due to high cases of banknote forgery. All of them are polymer. The $100 note of this series has won a gold medal award for its security features in the 22nd National Print Award in Australia in May 2005.
$50 – Light blue and bronze $100 – brown and orange $500 – pink $1000 – grey and brown $10,000 – gold and green
The S$10,000 and B$10,000 notes are the world’s most valuable banknotes, worth USD 8000 as of September 2014 (that are officially in circulation).They are worth eight times as much as the next most valuable, the 1000 Swiss franc note (USD 1063). From 6 November 2020, AMBD has announced it will stop printing B$10,000 notes to reduce the risk of money laundering. Brunei has also stopped the issuance of B$10,000 and is in the process of withdrawing it from active circulation.
2011 polymer series
$1 – blue (2011)
$5 – green and yellow (2011)
$10 – red, yellow and brown (2011)
To commemorate the 65th birthday of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Shortly after the notes were issued, the Braille dots on the upper left front corner of the new polymer notes are not raised. The Braille dots cannot be felt tactilely, and they are not accurately rendered as Braille numbers corresponding to the denominations. Specifically, the spacing of the dots is wrong, and they lack the lead-in character that indicates that numbers follow.