The Brunei dollar (sign: B$, Malay: ringgit, will be renamed to dolar Brunei starting from the 2026 series; currency code: BND), has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign$, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The currency is divided into 100 cents (Malay: sen) and is issued by the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank.
Under a Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 1967, the Brunei dollar is interchangeable with the Singapore dollar at par. As such, the Brunei dollar is accepted in Singapore as "customary tender"; likewise, the Singapore dollar is accepted in Brunei.[2]
Early currency in Brunei included cowrie shells. Brunei is also famous for its bronze teapots, which were used as currency in barter trade along the coast of northern Borneo. The Spanish-American silver dollar brought over by the Manila galleons was in wide use for Brunei's international trade from the 16th to 19th centuries; the 19th century Straits dollar was itself derived from the same coin.
Brunei issued tin coins denominated in pitis in AH1285 (AD1868). These were followed by a one cent coin in AH1304 (AD1888). This cent was one hundredth of a Straits dollar.
The Brunei dollar replaced the Malaya and British Borneo dollar in 1967 after the formation of Malaysia and the independence of Singapore. Until 23 June 1973, the Malaysian ringgit was exchangeable at par with the Singapore dollar and Brunei dollar. The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board (now the Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam)) still maintain the exchangeability of their two currencies. The dollar is accepted as "customary tender" in Singapore according to the Currency Interchangeability Agreement,[2] although it is not legal tender there.
History of coins used in Brunei
Coins were used in Brunei from the 10th century. The Straits dollar was also used in Brunei from 1906.
Due to the close ties between China and Brunei, the first type of coins used in Brunei were Chinese coins. This was initially called 'Pitis'. They were later known as 'Kue' when local 'Pitis' were introduced.[3][4] The local 'Pitis' coins had 'Sultanate of Brunei' stamped in front of the coin and the royal umbrella was imprinted at the back. These were issued from the 16th to the 19th century. Previous Islamic coins were also called the 'Pitis'.[5] Another type of coin that was used in Brunei were 'Duit besi' (which roughly translates to 'Iron money'). Iron was considered valuable those days that it was used as money. 100 one-square inch pieces were valued at 1 dollar.[4]
The last coin to be issued before the introduction of the Straits Settlements currency was the 'Duit Bintang', otherwise known as the 'Star coin' or the 'Star Cent'.[3] It is called the Star coin because of the star imprinted on the obverse of the coin. It was minted in Birmingham, England, in 1887.[3] It was made from copper.
With the introduction of the Straits Settlements currency, the previously used coins were taken out of circulation. They were, however still used with certain exchange rates.[4]
In 1984, Brunei Currency Board ordered four million circulation coins from the Singapore Mint.[6] The circulation coins consisted of one cent coint in bronze and five, ten, twenty and fifty cents coins in cupro-nickel.[6] The 50 cents has an additional security feature with a reeded edge with dots between lines at regular interval while other countries' circulation coins are mill-edged.[6]
History of banknotes used in Brunei
One Straits dollar banknote from 1935
The Straits dollar was introduced in Brunei in 1906. It was later replaced by the Malayan dollar which was introduced to British colonies and Brunei in 1939. It replaced the Straits dollar at par with a 1:1 exchange rate. The Malayan dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya. The board stopped issuing the Malayan dollar during the Japanese invasion during World War II. The Malayan dollar had the portrait of King George VI in front of the note.[3]
In 1967, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. Except for the bronze 1 cent, the coins were struck in cupro-nickel.
In 1986, copper-clad steel replaced bronze.[9] Later, in 2008, the 1 cent coins switched compositions to brass.
Banknotes
On 12 June 1967,[10] the government (Kerajaan Brunei) introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 dollars. Notes for 500 and 1,000 dollars followed in 1979. In 1989, the title on the paper money was changed to Negara Brunei Darussalam, the official name of the country, and the Malay term for "State of Brunei, Abode of Peace". 10,000 dollar notes were introduced the same year. All notes bear the denomination in Malay (in both Rumi and Jawi) and in English. The English denomination appeared on the obverse below the denomination in Malay on the earlier series, but now appears on the reverse together with the Jawi.
Five series of notes have been issued. The colours of $1, $5, and $10 notes have been the same for all the series of banknotes.
Second series – This series was the same as the first series with exception that the portrait of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin was replaced by the portrait of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th and current ruler of Brunei. All subsequent currency has the portrait of Hassanal Bolkiah. In addition, two new higher denominations were issued in 1979.
$1 ~ $100 like 1967 series
$500 – pink
$1,000 – yellow
1989 series
Third series – the post independence series. This series was gradually being replaced by the fourth series.
Polymer banknotes were introduced in 2004 due to high cases of banknote forgery, with all the new banknotes being in the same substrate. Denominations of 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10000 were issued from 2004 to 2007. The $100 note of this series won a gold medal award for its security features in the 22nd National Print Award in Australia in May 2005.[11]
The S$10,000 and B$10,000 notes are the world's most valuable banknotes, (worth US$7,375 as of May 2024) that are officially in circulation.[12][13] They are worth eight times as much as the next most valuable, the 1,000 Swiss franc note (US$1,100). From 6 November 2020, AMBD has announced it will stop printing B$10,000 notes to reduce the risk of money laundering. Brunei has also stopped the issuance of B$10,000 and is in the process of withdrawing it from active circulation.[14][15]
To commemorate the 65th birthday of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, an upgraded versions of the 1, 5 and 10 dollar banknotes were issued.[16][17][18][19] Shortly after the notes were issued, the Braille dots on the upper left front corner of the new polymer notes are not raised. The Braille dots cannot be felt tactilely, and they are not accurately rendered as Braille numbers corresponding to the denominations. Specifically, the spacing of the dots is wrong, and they lack the lead-in character that indicates that numbers follow.[20][21]
On 22 September 2025, the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank unveiled a new series of banknotes, consisting of denominations of BND1, BND5, BND10, BND100, and BND500. The banknotes are denominated in dolar Brunei. They will enter circulation in early 2026.[22]
This was issued during the silver jubilee (25th anniversary) of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah acceding to the throne. The design is of the 1989 series of currency.
$20 – yellow (polymer, 2007)
On 27 June 2007, Singapore and Brunei celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement (since 12 June 1967) by joint-issuing commemorative $20 notes.[23]
The two authorities issue distinct versions of the new $20 notes. They are both yellow, 149 × 72 mm in size, and made of polymer. The reverses are almost identical except that the Brunei version has their state title in Jawi script, while the Singaporean version has the state title of Brunei in Latin script.[24] The obverse of the Singaporean version is similar to the current Portrait Series, whereas the obverse of the Brunei version is similar to the $50 and $100 of the 2004 series.
There is a limited edition set, which consists of both versions in a folder, with matching serial number. The notes have "40th Anniversary Currency Interchangeability Agreement" overprinted on obverse. In addition, the Singaporean version has the two countries' state crests above the commemorative text. Only 12,000 sets are available, 10,000 from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and 2,000 from the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board.[24]
The circulation version has been available since 16 July 2007.[25]
$50 - yellow (polymer, 2017)
In 2017, both Brunei and Singapore issued $50 polymer banknotes in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of its Currency Interchangeability Agreement.[26]
$50 - yellow (polymer, 2017)
In 2017, the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam issued a $50 polymer banknote, alongside a 50 cent coin, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sultan Hassan al-Bolkiah's accession to the throne. On the front it depicts the monarch's coronation alongside a portrait of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. One notable security feature of the note is the use of an optically variable ink called "spark live".[27]
↑ "The Currency History of Singapore". Monetary Authority of Singapore. 9 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2008. Official Currencies of The Straits Settlements (1826-1939); Currencies of the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya (1939-1951); Currencies of the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo (1952-1957); Currencies of the Independent Malaya (1957-1963); On 12 June 1967, the currency union which had been operating for 29 years came to an end, and the three participating countries, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei each issued its own currency. The currencies of the 3 countries were interchangeable at par value under the Interchangeability Agreement until 8 May 1973 when the Malaysian government decided to terminate it. Brunei and Singapore however continue with the Agreement until the present day.
↑ Linzmayer, Owen (2011). "Brunei". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
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