Singapore is a city-state in Southeast Asia that became independent from the British in 1965. The first records of Singapore date back to the second and third centuries where a vague reference to its location was found in Greek and Chinese texts, under the names of Savana and Pu Luo Chung respectively. 

In 1867, Singapore was formally split off from British India and became a directly ruled Crown Colony.

Granted self-rule in 1955, Singapore briefly joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 when the British left, but was expelled because the Chinese-majority city was seen as a threat to Malay dominance. The island became independent on 9 August 1965, thus becoming the only country to gain independence against its own will in the history of the modern world!

The Spanish-American silver dollar brought over by the Manila galleons was in wide circulation in Asia and the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries. From 1845 to 1939 the Straits Settlements of which Singapore used to be part, issued its local equivalent, the Straits dollar. This was replaced by the Malayan dollar, and, from 1953, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar, which were issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo.

Singapore continued to use the common currency upon joining Malaysia in 1963 and after Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965, but the formal monetary union between Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei stopped in 1967, and Singapore established the Board of Commissioners of Currency Singapore, on 7 April 1967 and issued its first coins and notes. 

In 1967, the first series of coins was introduced depicted wildlife designs and other images relating to the island nation, designed by Stuart Devlin, the same artist credited for the 1966 designs on Australia's decimal coin series. 

The size of the coins are same as those used for the Malaysian ringgit and based directly on the old coinage of the former Malaya and British Borneo dollar. The 1-cent coin was bronze while the other denominations were copper-nickel. 

Later, in 1976, the 1-cent coin was changed to copper-clad steel. The production of the first series was demonetized by 1985.

Lee Kuan Yew (1923 – 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, was a Singaporean barrister and statesman who served as the first prime minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and the secretary-general of the People's Action Party between 1954 and 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee has been widely recognized as the founding father of Singapore for his leadership in turning a poor country into a developed country, and from an island of mudflats and swamps into a thriving metropolis.

OBVERSE: Denomination flanked by two stalks of rice.

Lettering: 1967 SINGAPORE 20 CENTS

Engraver: Stuart Devlin

REVERSE: A swordfish (Binomial Name: Xiphias gladius) against a wavy line background symbolizing water.

Engraver: Stuart Devlin

EDGE: Reeded

Designer : Stuart Devlin (1931– 2018), was an Australian artist and metalworker

Mint: Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom

Mintage in 1967 36 500 000

Country                   Singapore 

Head of State          Lee Kuan Yew (1955-2015)

Period                Republic (since 1967)

Type                      Standard circulation coin

Years                  1967-1985

Value                20 Cents

Currency                 Dollar (since 1967)

Composition          Copper-nickel (75% Copper, 25% Nickel)

Weight                   5.69 g

Diameter              23.6 mm

Thickness             1.778 mm

Shape                     Round

Orientation              Medal alignment ↑↑

References              KM# 4, Schön# 4