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The ringgit (unofficially known as the Malaysian dollar), is the official monetary unit of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 sen (cents) and its currency code is MYR.
Etymology
The word ringgit means "jagged" in Malay, and was originally used to refer to the serrated edges of Spanish silver dollars widely circulated in the area. The Singapore dollar and the Brunei dollar are also called ringgit in Malay (although e.g. the U.S. and Australian dollars are dolar), hence its official abbreviation RM for Ringgit Malaysia.
The Malay names ringgit and sen were officially adopted as the sole official names in August 1975. Previously they had been known officially as dollars and cents in English and ringgit and sen in Malay, and in some parts of the country this usage continues. For example, in Penang one ringgit is "one dollar" in English and "tsit8-kho·1" (一塊/一块)in Hokkien. In North Malaya, denominations of ten sen are called kupang in Malay ("poat8" in Hokkien), e.g. 50 sen is 5 kupang.
History
On June 12, 1967 the Malaysian dollar replaced the Malaya and British Borneo dollar at par. The Malaysian dollar was issued by the new central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia.
Until 1973, the Malaysian dollar was exchangeable at par with the Singapore dollar and Brunei dollar. The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board still maintain the exchangeability of their two currencies.
The use of the dollar sign "$" (or "M$") was not replaced by "RM" (Ringgit Malaysia) until the 1990s, though internationally "MYR" (MY being the country code for Malaysia) is more widely used.
Coins
First series
| First Series * | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Diameter | Composition | Edge | Obverse | Reverse | First Minted Year | Released Date |
| 1 sen | 18 mm | Bronze | Parliament House and a 13-pointed star and crescent moon | State title, value, year | 1967 | 12 June 1967 | |
| 1 sen | Copper clad steel | 1973 | ? | ||||
| 5 sen | 16 mm | Cupronickel | Parliament House and a 13-pointed star and crescent moon | State title, value, year | 1967 | 12 June 1967 | |
| 10 sen | 19 mm | ||||||
| 20 sen | 23 mm | ||||||
| 50 sen | 28 mm | ||||||
| 50 sen | Lettered | 1971 | ? | ||||
| $1 | 33 mm | Lettered "BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA" | Parliament House and a 14-pointed star and crescent moon | 1971 | 1 May 1971 |
Second series
| Second Series * | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Diameter | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | First Minted Year | Released Date |
| 1 sen | 18 mm | Bronze clad steel | Rebana ubi | Bank title, value, year | 1989 | 4 September 1989 |
| 5 sen | 16 mm | Cupronickel | Gasing | Bank title, value, year | 1989 | 4 September 1989 |
| 10 sen | 19 mm | Congklak | ||||
| 20 sen | 23 mm | Tepak sirih | ||||
| 50 sen | 28 mm | Wau | ||||
| $1 | 24 mm | Copper-zinc-tin | Keris with the songket in background | Bank title, "$1", year | 1989 | 4 September 1989 |
| $1 | Bank title, "1 ringgit", year | 1993 |
On December 7, 2005, the RM1 coin was demonetised and withdrawn from circulation. This was partly due to problems with standardization (two different versions of the coin were minted) and forgery.
Three denominations of gold bullion coins, the "Kijang Emas" (The kijang (a species of deer) is the official logo of Bank Negara Malaysia) are also issued, at the face value of RM 50, RM 100 and RM 200. It was launched on July 17, 2001 by Bank Negara Malaysia and minted by Royal Mint of Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The purchase and reselling price of Kijang Emas is determined by the prevailing international gold market price.
Banknotes
Bank Negara Malaysia first issued Malaysian dollar banknotes in June 1967 in $1, $5, $10, $50 and $100 denominations. The $1000 denomination was first issued in 1968. Malaysian banknotes have always carried the image of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
Malaysian banknotes have long followed a colour code originating from colonial times. In the lower denominations this pattern is followed by Singapore and Brunei, and when Bank Negara first introduced the RM2 note it copied the lilac of the Singapore $2 note.
- RM1 - blue
- RM2 - lilac
- RM5 - green
- RM10 - red
- RM20 - brown/white
- RM50 - blue/grey
- RM100 - violet
- RM500 - orange
- RM1000 - blue/green
First series
The front features Tuanku Abdul Rahman and the back features the traditional design of the 'Kijang Emas'Second series
The second series was issued with Malaysian traditional ornamental designs in 1982–1984, in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1000 denominations. The $20 was generally relatively uncommon. The second series notes are still occasionally encountered.The mark for the blind on the upper left hand corner was removed on the second revision in 1986.
In 1999 the RM500 and RM1000 notes were discontinued and ceased to be legal tender. This was due because of the Asian monetary crisis of 1997 when huge amounts of ringgit were taken out of the country to be traded in these notes. In effect the notes were withdrawn out of circulation and the amount of ringgit taken out of the country in banknotes was limited to RM1000.
In 1993, $1 notes were discontinued and replaced by the $1 coin.
| Second Series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Color | Obverse | Reverse | Issued Date | |
| $5 | Green | King's Palace at Kuala Lumpur | 1981 | |||
| $50 | Blue/grey | National Museum at Kuala Lumpur | 1983 | |||
| $100 | Violet | National Mosque at Kuala Lumpur | 1983 | |||
| $500 | Orange | High Court building | 1982 | |||
| $1000 | Blue/green | Parliament building | 1983 | |||
Third series
The current and third series was issued with designs in the spirit of Wawasan 2020 in1996–1999 in denominations of RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100. The larger denomination RM50 and RM100 notes had an additional hologram strip to deter counterfeiters.In 2004, Bank Negara issued a new RM10 note with additional security features including the holographic strip previously only seen on the RM50 and RM100 notes. A new RM5 polymer banknote with a distinctive transparent window was also issued. Both new banknotes are almost identical to their original third series designs. According to Bank Negara, all paper notes will eventually be phased out and replaced by polymer notes.
In 2000 the RM1 note was reintroduced, replacing the RM2 note which remains legal tender.
| Third Series * | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Dimensions | Color | Obverse | Reverse | Issued Date | Status | Note | |
Comemorative
To commemorate the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, a commemorative RM50 polymer banknote was issued, marking Malaysia's first usage of polymer banknotes. This note is hardly ever seen in normal usage, its use being a collector's commemorative.| Comemorative | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Dimensions | Color | Front | Back | Issued Date | Note | |
Currency peg
As a result of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, the ringgit was pegged to the U.S. dollar at the fixed rate of RM 3.8 to the dollar.
On July 21, 2005, Bank Negara announced the end of the 7-year peg to the US dollar immediately after China's announcement of the end of the renminbi peg to the US dollar. According to Bank Negara, Malaysia will allow the ringgit to operate in a managed float against several major currencies. This has resulted in the value of the ringgit rising closer to its perceived market value, although Bank Negara has intervened in financial markets to maintain stability in the trading level of the ringgit.
External links
- Bank Negara Malaysia Currency page showing security features of current banknotes issue (RM1, RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50, and RM100 denominations).
- Bank Negara Malaysia Money Museum website providing numismatic collection, history of money in Malaysia, and galleries.
- Stamp & Coin Mart page on Malaysian Banknotes, including history of legal tender in Straits Settlements, Federation of Malaya and Malaysia.
- Global Financial Data currency histories table
- Tables of modern monetary history: Asia
Ringgit | Ringgit | Ringgit | 말레이시아 링깃 | Ringgit | Ringgit | Ringgit | Ringgit | リンギット | Ringgit | Ringgit | Ringgit | ริงกิต | 令吉
"Malaysian ringgit"
