Dealing with counterfeit Notes and Coins
If you have any doubt as to the genuineness of a Singapore note or coin, you could bring it to the Monetary Authority of Singapore to have it verified.
If you discover or receive a counterfeit note or coin, you should report it immediately to the Police.
The passing of counterfeit notes or coins is a criminal offence under Section 489(B) or 240 of the Penal Code. Retention of counterfeit notes and coins is also an offence under Section 489(C) or 243 of the Penal Code.
| "Counterfeit". |
28. |
A person is said to "counterfeit" who causes one thing to resemble another thing, intending by means of that resemblance to practise deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised. |
| Explanation 1. --- It is not essential to counterfeiting that the imitation should be exact. |
| Explanation 2.--- Where a person causes one thing to resemble another thing and the resemblance is such that a person might be deceived thereby it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved that the person so causing the one thing to resemble the other thing intended by means of that resemblance to practise deception or knew it to be likely that deception would thereby be practised. |
Counterfeiting Coins
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| Coin. |
230. |
"Coin" is metal used as money stamped and issued by the authority of the Government or of any other part of the Commonwealth or by the authority of the government of any foreign country in order to be so used.
"Current coin" means coin which is lawfully current in Singapore or in any other part of the Commonwealth or in any foreign country. |
Illustrations
a) Cowries are not coin.
b) Lumps of unstamped copper, though used as money, are not coin.
c) Medals are not coin, inasmuch as they are not intended to be used as money. |
| Counterfeiting coin. |
231. |
Whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Explanation . --- A person commits this offence, who, intending to practise deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a genuine coin to appear like a different coin. |
| Counterfeiting current coin. |
232. |
Whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting current coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting coin. |
233. |
Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of making or mending,or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting current coin. |
234. |
Whoever makes or mends,or performs any part of the process of making or mending, or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting current coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Possession of intrument or material for the purpose of using the same for counterfeiting coin. |
235. |
Whoever is in possession of any instrument or material for the purpose of using the same for counterfeiting coin, or knowing or having reason to believe that the same is intended to be used for the purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the coin to be counterfeited is current coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years,and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Abetting in Singapore the counterfeiting out of Singapore of coin. |
236. |
Whoever, being within Singapore, abets the counterfeiting of coin out of Singapore, shall be punished in the same manner as if he abetted the counterfeiting of such coin within Singapore. |
| Import or export of counterfeit coin. |
237. |
Whoever imports into Singapore, or exports therefrom, any counterfeit coin, knowing or having reason to believe that the same is counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also liable to fine. |
| Import or export of counterfeits of current coin. |
238. |
Whoever imports into Singapore, or exports therefrom, any counterfeit coin which he knows or has reason to believe to be a counterfeit of current coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
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| Delivery to another of coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is counterfeit. |
239. |
Whoever, having any counterfeit coin which at the time when he became possessed of it he knew to the counterfeit, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the same to any person, or attempts to induce any person to receive it, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Delivery of current coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is counterfeit. |
240. |
Whoever, having any counterfeit coin which is a counterfeit of current coin, and which at the time when he became possessed of it he knew to be a counterfeit of current coin, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the same to any person, or attempts to induce any person to receive it shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which when first possessed the deliverer did not know to be counterfeit. |
241. |
Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine, or attempts to induce any other person to receive as genuine, any counterfeit coin which he knows to be counterfeit, but which he did know to be counterfeit at the time when he took it into his possession, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine to an amount which may extend to 10 times the value of the coin counterfeited, or with both. |
Illustration
A, a coiner, delivers counterfeit Hong Kong dollars to his accomplice B, for the purpose of uttering them. B sells the dollars to C another utterer , who buys them knowing them to be counterfeit. C pays away the dollars for goods to D, who receives them, not knowing them to be counterfeit. D, after receiving the dollars , discovers that they are counterfeit, and pays them away as if they were good. Here D is punishable only under this section , but B and C are punishable under section 239 or 240 as the case may be. |
| Possession of counterfeit coin by a person who knew it to be counterfeit when he became possessed thereof. |
242. |
Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of counterfeit coin, having known at the time when he became possessed of it that the coin was counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years , and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be counterfeit when he became possessed thereof. |
243. |
Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of counterfeit coin, which is a counterfeit of current coin, having known at the time when he became possessed of it that it was a counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Forfeiture of counterfeit coin. 21/73. |
243A. |
1) Any police officer, not below the rank of sergeant , upon being satisfied that any person has in his possession any counterfeit coin or counterfeit current coin or any die, instrument or material for the purpose of counterfeiting any coin or current coin, may without warrant and with or without assistance enter and search any place where any such coin or any such die, instrument or material is kept and seize all such coin, die, instrument or material.
2) Anything seized under subsection (1) shall, by order of the court before which any person is tried relating to such possession, or where there is no trial, by order of a magistrate , be forfeited and shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct. |
| Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the composition of any coin. |
246. |
Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any coin any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Explanation. --- A person who scoops out part of the coin and puts anything else into the cavity, alters the composition of that coin. |
| Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the composition of current coin. |
247. |
Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any current coin any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Altering appearance of any coin with intent that it shall pass as a coin of a different description. |
248. |
Whoever performs on any coin any operation which alters the appearance of that coin with the intention that coin shall pass as a coin of a different description shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
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| Altering appearance of current coin with intent that it shall pass as a coin of a different description. |
249. |
Whoever performs on any current coin any operation which alters the appearance of that coin with the intention that that coin shall pass as a coin of a different they description shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Delivery to another of coin possessed with the knowledge that it is altered. |
250. |
Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 246 or 248 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of the coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any other person to receive the coin shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Delivery of current coin possessed with the knowledge that it is altered. |
251. |
Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or 248 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of the coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any other person to receive the coin shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Possession of altered coin by a person who knew it to be altered when he became possessed thereof. |
252. |
Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in section 246 or 248 has been committed, having known at the time of becoming possessed thereof that that offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be altered when he became possessed thereof. |
253. |
Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or 249 has been committed, having known at the time of becoming possessed thereof that that offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which, when first possessed, the deliverer did not know to be altered. |
254. |
Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine or as a coin of a different description from what it is, or attempts to induce any person to receive as genuine or as a different coin from what it is, any coin in respect of which he knows that any such operation as that mentioned in section 246, 247, 248 or 249, has been performed, but in respect of which he did not, at the time when he took it into his possession, know that such operation had been performed, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine to an amount which may extend to 10 times the value of the coin for which the altered coin is passed or attempted to be passed. |
Counterfeiting Notes
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| Forging or counterfeiting currency notes or bank notes. |
489A*. |
1) Whoever forges or counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of forging or counterfeiting, any currency note or bank note shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Explanation. --- For the purposes of this section and of sections 489B, 489C and 489D, "bank note" means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power and intended to be used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for, money. |
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2) For the purposes of this section and of sections 489B, 489C, 489D and 489E, "currency note" includes any note (by whatever name called) which is legal tender in the country in which it is issued. |
| Using as genuine forged or counterfeit currency notes or bank notes. |
489B. |
Whoever sells to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics in or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit currency note or bank note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit , shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine. |
| Possession of forged or counterfeit currency notes or bank notes. |
489C. |
Whoever has in his possession any forged or counterfeit currency note or bank note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit and intending to use the same as genuine or that it may be used as genuine, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years. |
| Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency notes or bank notes. |
489D. |
Whoever makes or performs any part of the process of making, or buys or sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any machinery, instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or counterfeiting any currency note or bank note, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
Forfeiture of counterfeit currency.
21/73. |
489E. |
1)Any police officer, not below the rank of sergeant, upon being satisfied that any person has in his possession any forged or counterfeit currency note or bank note or any machinery, instrument or material used or intended to be used for the forging or counterfeiting of any currency note or bank note, may without warrant and with or without assistance enter and search any place where or any such machinery, instrument or material is kept and seize all such notes, machinery, instrument or material.
2)Anything seized under subsection(1) shall, by order of the court before which any person is tried relating to such possession, or where there is no trial, by order of a Magistrate, be forfeited and shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct. |
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