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Coin Act

(CHAPTER 46)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 24 of 1903)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act to regulate the import and export of coin.

[9th October 1903]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Coin Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act —

“banker” means any corporation carrying on the business of bankers or financial agents in Singapore;

“money-changer” means a person who carries on the business of money-changing as his chief business.

Prohibition by Minister of importation, exportation and circulation of coin

3.—(1) The Minister may by order —

(a)	prohibit the importation into Singapore of such coins, whether legal tender within Singapore or not, as are in such order specified;
(b)	prohibit the exportation from Singapore of such coins, being legal tender within Singapore, as are in such order specified.

(2) The Minister may by order —

(a)	prohibit the circulation in Singapore of such foreign coins, not being legal tender within Singapore, as are in such order specified;
(b)	exempt any country or state from the operation of any order prohibiting the import into or export from Singapore of such coins as are in such order specified.

(3) Every order made under this section shall be published in the Gazette and shall not come into force until so published.

Penalty for importing or exporting coin in contravention of order

4.—(1) Any person who, in contravention of any such order, imports or exports or attempts to import or export any coin in such order specified to the amount of $5 in nominal value or upwards in the case of copper or bronze coin, or of $25 in nominal value or upwards in the case of silver coin, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

(2) Any coin so imported or exported or attempted to be imported or exported in contravention of any such order shall be forfeited.

(3) In any case in which it has been proved, to the satisfaction of a court, that any coin has been exported in contravention of any such order, the court may impose, in addition to the fine authorised by this section, a further penalty not exceeding the amount or value of the coin so found to have been exported.

(4) This section shall not apply to any coin imported or exported with the permission in writing under the hand of the Minister or of any officer appointed in that behalf by the President; such permission shall specify the terms on which such coin may be imported or exported, as the case may be.

(5) Any person importing or exporting any coin in contravention of the terms of such permission shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000, and any coin so imported or exported shall be forfeited. Subsection (3) shall apply in the case of any coin exported in contravention of the terms of any such permission.

(6) Any person who, in contravention of any such order, circulates or attempts to circulate any coin in such order specified shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50, and the coin shall be forfeited.

(7) For the purposes of this section, a person is not deemed to circulate any coin who gives such coin to a banker or money-changer in exchange for other coins or for notes.

Forfeiture of prohibited coin

5. Any coin, the circulation of which in Singapore is for the time being prohibited by any such order as aforesaid, found within Singapore otherwise than in the possession of a banker or money-changer, after the expiration of 30 days from the publication in the Gazette of such order, may, if it amounts to the nominal value of $5 or upwards in the case of copper or bronze coin, or $25 or upwards in the case of silver coin, be forfeited, and may be seized without warrant by any police officer and detained pending adjudication.

Search under warrant of Justice of the Peace for coin imported or exported in contravention of order

6. A Justice of the Peace, if satisfied by sworn information in writing that there is good cause to believe that any coin which has been imported, or is in the act of being imported or exported, in contravention of any such order, is likely to be found in any place to the nominal value of $50 or upwards, may by warrant under his hand direct any police officer, named or specified therein, to enter such place and search the same and seize all coin or coins found therein, the import or export of which is for the time being prohibited, and detain the same pending adjudication.

Police may arrest without warrant

7. Any person found offending against this Act may be arrested by any police officer without warrant.

Forfeiture of coin by whom declared

8. Forfeitures of coin may be declared under this Act —

(a)	by the High Court in proceedings instituted by the Attorney-General under the Government Proceedings Act;
(b)	by the convicting court in all cases where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act in respect of such coin;
(c)	by a Magistrate’s Court where no person is convicted and the nominal value of the coin does not exceed $500.

Fine paid to informer

9. The court may direct any fine or portion of a fine imposed and levied under this Act to be paid to an informer.