“The coin pays tribute to his strategic vision, boldness and indomitable spirit that transformed Singapore from a regional trading port to a global manufacturing, business and financial hub, creating opportunities for all Singaporeans,” the central bank said in a statement today.

MAS said applications can be made online from May 15 to June 9, 2023 and are open to Singapore citizens (SCs) and permanent residents (PRs) only.

“The LKY100 coins will be available for collection from September 2023,” it said.

However, MAS said the coins that are not exchanged during the collection window will subsequently be made available for exchange at the banks by the general public, including non-Singaporeans.

Detailing the coin design, MAS said “It is gold in colour, minted in aluminium bronze, and with a diameter of 30mm.”

The front side of the coin will see below the Singapore Coat of Arms, a dual latent image featuring Lee’s birth year ‘1923’ viewed from one angle, and his 100th birth anniversary ‘2023’ viewed from another.

Meanwhile, on the reverse side of the coin, the design features a portrait of Lee Kuan Yew, accompanied in the foreground by the Marina Barrage, representing his vision to build a freshwater reservoir in the city, strengthening Singapore’s water resilience.

The backdrop is the skyline of the Raffles Place financial district, and two heritage buildings that have witnessed significant milestones in Singapore’s history – Fullerton Hotel (formerly the Fullerton Building/General Post Office) and National Gallery Singapore (formerly the Supreme Court and City Hall).

The LKY100 coin is designed by Singapore local artist Weng Ziyan.

For more information on the LKY100 coin, the interested public may visit https://go.gov.sg/lky100coin.