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RM1 in Malaysia has seen quite a lot of changes throughout the years
In 1967, Malaysia’s (formerly known as Malaya) currency was referred to in dollars and cents (M$).
It was only until 1975 when the Malaysian currency was officially renamed as ‘ringgit’ and ‘sen’.
Prior to that, the Malaya and British Borneo dollar was the currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei, and Riau Archipelago.
The dollar had the state emblems of the Federation of Malaya and its constituents. It was used in Malaya after independence in 1957, during Malaysia’s formation in 1963, as well as in Singapore after its independence.
By 1967, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei ended the currency union and began issuing their own currencies: Malaysian ringgit, Singaporean dollar, and Brunei dollar.
Several years later in 1971, $1 coins were also made. If you were around during this time, you may recall using these for vending machines, supermarket trolleys, and more.
The ‘dollar’ term on these iconic gold coins was later replaced with ‘ringgit’ in 1993
They were eventually demonetised in 2005 and withdrawn from the market, partly due to standardisation and forgery.
Today, these coins are considered valuable, especially among coin collectors.
Similarly, the RM1 banknotes’ currency sign was also altered over time
And now we have the most recent versions in both paper and plastic form
