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On this site, I will post all my other miscellaneous items which I have collected over the years. I can't say there are many but to some these are considered as junks or garbage but to me, it's a collectible. Some of these came from the family or through inheritance and that is why I am keeping them. Whilst my heading for this site is Australia Postal and Numismatic covers, I have stopped collecting them as to me, it is not that attractive to collect anymore. I hope you like them as much as I do.

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"no borrowed scans here nor i cut and pasted from other web sites. all notes displaying here are mine"

29 May 2022

...Singapore - $150, 150th Year of the Founding of Singapore First Gold Coin 1969

The Republic of Singapore
Singapura / சிங்கப்பூர் / 新加坡
 
Singapore Mint

Below, I believe, is the first gold coin minted and issued in Singapore by the Singapore Mint. This coin was issued in 1969 to commemorate the 150th year of the founding of Singapore 1819-1969. In 2019, Singapore's central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released a $20 polymer banknote celebrated the 200th year of the founding of Singapore.

Singapore once belonged to the Sultan of Johor, prior to the arrival of the British governor Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Raffles was then granted the right to establish a trading post in Singapore by Sultan Hussein following his return from exile in Riau (now part of Indonesia) and installed as the new Sultan of Johor with the help of Raffles. In 1824, a treaty was signed that led to the control of Singapore by the British. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements. From 1942 to 1945, Singapore was occupied by the Imperial Japanese army during the second world war. Internal self-government was granted in 1955 and in 1963, Singapore merged with Malaya, Sarawak and British Borneo (now Sabah) to form Malaysia. Brunei was also invited to join at that time but decided not to. In 1965, Singapore left Malaysia and became a Republic.

This coin was initially acquired from a goldsmith and for that it was purchased based on gold value then and not as a gold coin collectible item. This coin was given to me as a wedding gift by my late mother many years ago. The condition of this gold coin is still in excellent condition. I believe this coin is not rare.
 
The design on the front of the coin is the National Coat of Arms of Singapore. It should be noted that this coat of arms has since been altered to show a happy or smiling face, rather than a sad one, as per below. The symbol of the arms showing a lion holding the shield on one side and the tiger doing the same on the other side. On the shield it has the five stars above a crescent. Underneath, it has the banner with the words - Majulah Singapura (Advance Singapore). If you look carefully, the banner represents a sad look. I am not sure when this sad looking Coat of Arms was altered as coins issued right up to 1991 all having the same design. However, in 1992, this was changed and all coins minted since then showing a smiling banner look. Are they really that superstitious? It seems that auspicious dates also played an important part in Singapore as well. The Feng Shui got it to be right, right?

One Hundred and Fifty Dollars
Arms of Singapore

Specifications
Fine gold - 0.916
Mintage - 198,000
Diameter - 30.48mm
Weight - 24.88 grams (about 0.8039 of an ounce pure gold)
Designer (obverse) - Christopher Ironside
Date of Release - ???

Lighthouse

I believe the lighthouse depicted on the reverse is the Raffles lighthouse. This lighthouse is located on Pulau Satumu (Satumu Island), which is the southernmost island, south of Pawai Island. The island of Satumu is about 14 km south of Singapore's main island. Satumu in Malay means one tree. The foundation stone for this lighthouse was laid in 1854 by the then Governor of the Straits Settlements William John Butterworth (b.1801-1856), and the construction for the lighthouse was completed in 1855. Interesting to know that this is still a working lighthouse and is managed by two lighthouse keepers on a daily 12 hours shift cycle for 10 days and then 10 days off. In another word, at least 4 keepers are employed on rotation every 10 days to work on this lighthouse. The tower stands 29 meters tall and has a range of 12 nautical miles. Well, you can visit this island as well. How good is that? I wonder if they have a restaurant or a bar on the island?,
 
Unfortunately, I do not have the case or the official certificate for this coin. It would be nice if I had them.

In addition to the above, a proof version of the coins were also released and restricted to 500 sets. One can only assume that this would be a rare item. Value wise, I have no idea, but it will be worth many times above the value of the normal issue.  

As mentioned earlier, this coin was minted by the Singapore Mint. The Singapore Mint was established in 1968 and has contractual rights to mint all coins for the government of Singapore. In addition to this, the company also mint coins for foreign entities. Singapore Mint is wholly owned by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the central bank of Singapore.

25 December 2021

...Malaysia - 100 Ringgit First Gold Coin First Prime Minister Commemorative

Malaysia
 
Bank Negara Malaysia
(National Bank of Malaysia)
Currency - Ringgit (MYR)

This is a 100 ringgit gold coin issued in 1971, commemorating the First Prime Minister of Malaya/Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman (b.1903-1990). Tunku Abdul Rahman is also known as the Founding Father of the Nation or Father of Independence, where he successfully obtained independence from the British on 31.08.1957. Tunku Rahman became the Prime Minister on 31.08.1957 when the country granted full independence from the British. He stepped down from the post on 22.09.1970. Prior to this, he was the Chief Minister of Malaya between 01.08.1955 to 30.08.1957.
 
Tunku Abdul Rahman or commonly known as 'Tunku' to the locals, came from the Royal family of the State of Kedah. The word 'Tunku' means Prince in Malay. He was the 7th son of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim (b.1864-1943) who was the Sultan of Kedah from 1881 to 1943.

One Hundred Ringgit
Portrait of Tunku Abdul Rahman - First Prime Minister of Malaysia, with home-made label

Specifications
Fine gold - 0.917
Mintage - 100,000
Diameter - about 22.5mm
Weight - 18.66 grams (0.6036 ounce of fine gold
Date of Release - 30.08.1971

Parliament House over the crescent. A 14-point star (Federal Star)

This is the first gold coin minted and issued by the central bank. I got this gold coin from the central bank on 25.09.1986. Because the value of gold has gone up since the initial release, I paid for the value of the gold at the time of my purchase. The transaction was done over the counter, and it cost me RM580, which was 5.8 times the initial issue price then. Prior to my purchase, I was not sure if I could still get them, after 16 years since it was first issued. So, one day, I called up the central bank and to my surprise, they told me that I can still get them but it will be based on the value of the gold at that time. I had no problem with that, after all, to buy one from a dealer will cost me even more. It is not sure if this coin was from the reminder of the initial mintage or simply mum/dad collector returned the coin in exchange for the cash of 100 ringgit. Believe me, there are people who would do that, without knowing the collectable value of this gold coin or the value of the gold. I would assume the value of this coin has gone up now, however, I am not sure how much it is selling in the market now. As this is a collectible item, the value of this coin would be worth higher than the gold content.
 
A proof version of this coin was also issued but in limited quantity. This proof coin is rare. Only 500 coins were issued. Just wondering how many of these proof coins now have toning, tarnishing or darkening marks on it? Hmmmm.... yes, I am jealous as I have none :-(. I would say the majority of these coins would still be in collectors hands in Malaysia and given the high humidity environment in the country, I am not surprised if these flaws appeared on the coins unless they are stored in a strictly controlled environment 24/7. In reality, sometimes it is better just to collect BU coins than proof as such flaws can depreciate the value of the coin rapidly. 
 
According to a report, this coin was minted by the Perth Mint in Australia. The Perth Mint is wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia and was established in 1899, two years before Australia became Federation in 1901. The proof coin version of this issue was minted by the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.

This coin is in excellent condition. There are no dings or dents on either side of the coin. I understand that this coin is not rare either as you can still find them on sale from dealers or collectors. Given the huge quantity minted, I am sure you can find one to your liking. Because this is a gold coin, many goldsmiths in the country would have traded this to those gold investors too. 
 
I used to collect a few coins but stopped many years ago. Collecting coins is now so commercialised that they seem to be running out of ideas on what to mint. Many years ago, a Mint company issued coins with sands from a beach (World War 2 landing memorial), holy water blessed by the Holy-See, and then coloured coins and coins featuring Mickey Mouse cartoons. Some collectors may like them, but for me, this is getting a bit too much to collect. Don't forget that when you collect them, you also have to consider collecting those minted with copper-nickel material, silver and if your bank account allows, gold or platinum coins too.

07 November 2021

...My Cheap Rolex Watch Model 15000

My Cheap Rolex Wrist Watch
My 金撈
Swiss Made
 
I have decided to show and tell my beloved wrist watch. This is my brief story of my Rolex watch.
 
Like many egoistic people around the world, I am also one of those who loves to have a Rolex wrist watch wrapped nicely around my skinny wrist and in 1987, I managed to get one for myself.
 
The story of my watch was that I got it as a gift (I know, I have no shame and not to mention cheapskate too). I started looking for one back in 1986. My initial choice was a hand winding Rolex watch with no date as this was then the cheapest one I was aware of. However, at the time of my research, I was unaware if Rolex was still making such watches. I have seen someone owning one, but I did not try to visit a local Rolex retailer to see for myself. In those days, the Internet was not available to the public, and I cannot search to see if the watch was still available then. I am one of those people that unless I was ready to buy one, I would not step into a shop, pretending that I was going to get one.
 
I then ruled out getting one that needs to wind it up every day. You see, Rolex watches all come with a screw crown for waterproofing and to keep out any dust getting into the watch. The screw crown was first introduced by Rolex in 1926, and imagining if I have to do that 24/7, the daily winding rituals will eventually wear out the thread on the screw, and then I would have to send my watch in for a service and have it repaired. Besides, I find this a bit inconvenient too. I used to own a mechanical winding watch when I was a kid, but then the crown was just an ordinary one and not with a screwed thread type. Don't get me wrong, as I understand that all Rolex watches are recommended to have it serviced every 10 years or so, but as I know myself, I would not submit my watch for a service unless I have to, as if it has stopped working or is damaged.
 
So, eventually I settled for the one next up, which is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date. To many Rolex owners or followers, this is an entry level Rolex watch.
 
As I said this watch was bought in 1987 brand new for $1,700. I found out some years ago that based on the serial number (#8792285) of my watch, it was made in 1985 (see below table). On the bracelet, it has the details of K10, Steelinox (stainless steel) and the reference no 78350. Since I got this watch, I wore it almost daily and in the mid 1990s, I accidentally chipped a bit off the Plexiglass. The chip was very visible to the naked eyes but not exposing the dial to outside air. I then took it to the nearest Rolex authorised repair center for a service. In those days, it cost me $300, but I do not believe it was a full service. After having it serviced, the watch somehow was not the same again as it used to be. Before that, the power reserve was at least 2 full days as I only wear it on weekdays and not during weekends. After the service, the watch stopped working after 24 hours or so, and that was very disappointing. Also, the accuracy on the watch was gone too. So, I decided to stop wearing it for a while.
 
 Rolex Watches Serial Numbers
courtesy of Precisionwatches.com
 
Around the late 2000s, I started wearing my Rolex again. I wore it during one of my overseas trips and while traveling on a bus, I realised that the watch had stopped working. Not sure why but when I tried to adjust the time, nothing happened as neither of the hands moved. By then I knew something was damaged or broken inside or perhaps some movement parts had been disconnected. Obviously, as it was broken, I stopped wearing it again. When I came back from my overseas trip, I then contacted the local Rolex Service Center and was told that the quote for a full service would cost me around $1,000 plus any major parts that need to be replaced. The service time is around one month. The reason they told me was that for a full service, they have to take the watch apart and to check the parts for wear and tear and replace them with a new one if need be. Because of the cost, I decided to put on hold as for that kind of money, I can get myself another reasonably good new watch, perhaps not another Rolex, or not even for a used one.
 
After leaving this watch for more than 10 years, I decided to take my Rolex for a full service and have it repaired. I took my watch for repair in late March 2021 and because of the pandemic and our on and off lock down, I did not get my watch back until 03.11.2021. After 226 days, I finally got my watch back. The total cost for the repair was $1,865.50. Apart from the service and repair, they also changed the dial and all the three hands of my watch. The reason they gave me was that the luminous part of the dial and hands do not glow any more at night. Personally, I would not have agreed to change them, but since they have recommended it, I decided to go along with it. The dial cost $545.45 and those 3 tiny little hands were $114.09. They also replaced the Plexiglass crystal which is already included as part of the service cost. It is the policy of Rolex Service Center that they get to retain all the parts that they have replaced, including the O rubber ring that they use to seal the case/gasket. Therefore, I have no idea what they have replaced apart from the Plexiglass crystal. However, I do believe that they would have replaced the crown, the O rubber seal ring and perhaps a few other parts too.
 
For this model, I must say that I was a bit disappointed that the watch does not come with a sapphire crystal. Rolex first introduced sapphire crystal in 1970 to some of their selected models. The M15000 was not part of it and I understand that later models made in the early 1990s are all fitted with sapphire crystal. As for my watch, and it was not designed for that, they can only replace it with a Plexiglass crystal instead. 
 
One of the reasons I like the Rolex watch is the cyclops lens. I believe Rolex is the only watchmaker that has this patented to themselves. I have seen one other brand of watch that had a similar feature but the cyclops lens was more like a magnifying glass, built underneath the crystal and not on top. The Cyclops lens was introduced in 1953, and was named after the one-eye giant of Greek mythology. As we can see the Cyclops lens is placed on top of the date aperture, acting as a magnifying lens to show the date by 2.5x clearer to those who might have problem in seeing small numbers. The story goes that this idea was introduced by the Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf's wife after she complained that she can hardly see the date on her watch. Little would she expect that this is now one of the main features or icons of the Rolex brand.
 
Many people today know that Rolex SA is a watch manufacturing company based in Geneva Switzerland. But did you know that it was originally started in London, England? Rolex was founded in 1905 and was then called Wilsdorf and Davis by the two founding members Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis (relationship brother/brother-in-law) in London. The company imports watches and parts from overseas and then sells them to local retailers. In 1908, it registered the brand name Rolex and then became Rolex Watch Co Ltd in 1915. In 1919, it moved its operations to Switzerland after the British government introduced import duty on all luxury goods and parts to raise revenue because of the great world war that ended the year earlier.
 
To the Chinese (Cantonese) the slang name for a Rolex watch is called 金撈 (gam/kam lou). The word 金 means gold, and 撈 means to earn a living. In Mandarin, it is pronounced as ''Jin Lao''. The only thing is that mine is not a gold Rolex :-(.
 
My watch
Rolex M15000
 
As you can see, the model of my watch is the M15000. It has an Oyster steel case and I believe the Oyster diameter is 34mm. Yes, I do have a rather skinny wrist (just skin and bone) and that is why I wanted this medium size watch, and not one that is 40mm+ or more. It comes with the Oyster bracelet and it has the caliber movement of 3035 automatic. The dial reference for my watch is 15008, Roman numerals of 1 to 12 are added to the dial. I am aware that some other Rolex 15000 models do not have Roman numerals on them. This watch has a self-winding mechanism called the Perpetual rotor, a semi-circular plate that rotates either way to wind up the watch. This self-winding mechanism is very common nowadays and you can find them on many self-winding mechanical watches, including those cheap or common and well-branded watches available in the market. The date is located on the 3 o’clock position and this automatically changing date was first introduced by Rolex in 1931. The watch has a smooth bezel.
 
Rolex M15000 with original box
 
After 34 years, I still have the original box, the receipt, booklet and all the bits and pieces that came with the watch when it was first purchased. The Rolex retailer that this watch was bought from is still operating, and has been in business since the 1960s.
 
According to Rolex’s website, all brand-new watches have a time accuracy of between -2/+2 seconds per day. This is almost as accurate as a quartz watch. 
 
I believe that today, a brand-new Rolex watch for a simple model would cost around $7,000+. A second hand of the same watch of mine would be around $4,500 to $5,500 or even higher depending on the condition. Imagine, after 34 years, the value of my watch has appreciated and not the other way round. I am aware that they are people who collect second-hand watches and if you are one of those that solely go for the Rolex brand, it must have cost you a fortune, unless you are also one of those who would also sell them for a profit. I must also mention that Rolex watches are not the best or most expensive in the world. There are also other brands of watches that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars but then how many ordinary people can afford those overpriced watches? The price of a Rolex watch may be expensive to many ordinary people but it is also within the reach of many people too, unless you are talking about those high-end Rolex watches.
 
Today, wearing a watch is more of a personal fashion icon. Whilst the main purpose of a watch is to tell you the time and also the date or perhaps also remind you what day of a week, a mobile phone can do the same as well as many other functions too. Nowadays, almost everyone owns a smartphone. The smartphone is now more of an essential personal instruction and some may even consider this equipment a ‘must’ have to have even when you are at home. It may not cook you a nice meal or serve you a nice glass of wine, but it can order one for you in less than 30 minutes. Unlike a mechanical watch, the main drawback for the smartphone is that it will become a useless object when it runs out of battery, while my watch still continues ticking as long as I continue to move my arm around.
 
packing materials for delivering the watch back to me by secured express post
 
Like all good brands of watches, there are still fake or replica watches in the market. As I know nothing about fake Rolex watches, I will not comment further here.
 
So, why do I like to wear a Rolex watch? Have I made it? My answer is - no! If I had, I would be wearing one that is more expensive than this one I have, like a Submariner Date or a Yacht-Master ll etc. Am I successful? Again no! Have I got taste? Yes, I do have good taste, like many people. Who does not want the best things in life for themselves? However, owning one is more of a personal ego as Rolex is an excellent product and the watches they made are just stunning and beautiful.
 
Now, as you would be wondering what currency value I was referring to in this post. I will let you guess and if you are a Rolex enthusiast, you would most likely know the answer by now. 
 
If you are a Rolex owner, please feel free to share your experience and comments here. Thanks 

Here is a quiz for those who are still wearing a wrist watch. If you are given two similar designs of watches. One is an automatic and the other one is powered by a battery. Without closely examining both the watches, can you tell which one is a mechanical one and the other one is a quartz?

25 May 2021

..Australia - Old Postage Stamps

 Australian Postal Corporation

This letter was posted recently to the company I am working for. I usually have a quick glance on the postage stamp(s) used on the envelope, after all, I was once a keen collector too. When I received this letter, the first thing that caught my eye was the postage stamp issued in 1970 commemorating the 1970 Suita (Osaka) Japan Expo. A set of this issue comprise two notes. When I looked closely on the rest of the stamps, I noticed that all the stamps used were all issued pre 1980s and this is when I decided to keep this envelope. After a quick search, below are the details of these stamps issued: -

1968 - 20c World Weather Watch
1969 - 20c Wheat
1970 - 20c Suita (Osaka) Japan 1970 Expo commemorative
1971 - 20c Aboriginal Art - Bark Painting   
1975 - 10c Stuart's Desert Pea

Norfolk Island
1969 - 10c Transit of Venus

Whilst I was very happy to receive a letter with all old stamps, this is not uncommon in this country. I had in the past received letters for my banknotes purchase here and some of the dealers used some of their old stamps as postage. Needless to say, there are still plenty of old mint stamps with dealers and more importantly they are neither rare nor expensive. Nowadays, all mails posted in the country do not get to see a post mark on the envelope.
 
I believe the Norfolk Island stamps should not be used on this mail. The reason is that these two stamps were issued for the use in Norfolk Island only and as such is not valid to be used in Australia. The law also applies to stamps issued by Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands too. However, the law has changed in 1993 and 1994 and more recently, that all stamps issued by Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Islands and Norfolk Island can be used in Australia, and you can tel by looking at the stamps as all these stamps are now printed with the word 'Australia' on it, ie Christmas Island Australia or Cocos Keeling Islands Australia.
 
Standard local mail in Australia since 01.08.2019 is $1.10 and technically, the postage for this letter was only paid for 90 cents.

Footnote
I have only scanned the postage stamps and not the entire envelope, to protect the privacy of the sender of this letter.

02 April 2021

...Chinese Combination Padlock Locks 中國密碼鎖

'Old' Chinese Combination Pad Lock

Here I have posted 3 combination locks I have in my collection. I do not believe these are really old locks based on the Chinese characters engraved on it. I can see simplified Chinese characters being used here. Chinese simplified writing was first introduced in 1935. Today, I believe traditional Chinese writing is still used in Hong Kong and Macau and in Taiwan, the government removed all simplified writings from its official websites some 10 years ago, but I believe some private sectors are still using simplified Chinese writings.

Thousands if not millions of these kinds of locks are made and are available in the market. Many of these new locks on sale now are mostly made solely for collections or for decorative souvenirs only as I believe hardly anyone is using them nowadays. Depending on the sizes of the padlocks made, traditionally, like all other locks made in the western world, they were used for locking the main doors/gates or for trunks or small chests. 

So, what's the difference between these Chinese padlocks compared to those more modern types that have numeral combination numbers on them?

For one, if you are not fluent in reading Chinese, this would be a bit hard for you. How to remember the characters if you can not read the writing? Secondly, the alignment position of the rings with characters have to be almost in a precise position in order to have it opened. Even though the 'key' to the combination is only 256 times (4x4x4x4x4) for the one I have posted below, that does not mean that you can open this lock going through the entire permutations. One little bit out of alignment, the lock will not open and you would not know if you had the right combinations and even if you do, you will still not be able to tell which one is not in the correct position. This is unlike those modern numbers combination/padlock locks, that the turning of the number is self guided for you to stop on each turn/move.

The lock itself is divided into two parts, namely the body and the other bit is the shackle. The body itself comes with 4 rings engraved with four characters each. Most of this has four characters. Some of these locks have 3 rings and some have 5 or even more. Obviously, the more rings it has, the harder for anyone to open. I do not believe there is such a thing as a standard type.
 
This lock is about 76mm in length and 42mm in height and is about 146.80 grams in weight. As you can see, it is quite heavy for a small lock.
 
Front View
 
I believe these are the characters showing on the lock:-
百 - 捧 - 喜 - 心
年 - 寿 - 发 - 想
偕 - 双 - 财 - 事
老 - 龙 - 恭 - 成
 
The code for this lock is 百捧喜心. In English, it is translated as 'Hundreds of Joys'.

Main Body and Shackle

Side View

You may have seen many experts demonstrating how fast they can open a padlock, I would like to see them opening one of these in less than a minute without breaking it.
 
Hong Kong Standard Chartered Bank 2010 series showing a Chinese Combination Padlock
 
Traditionally, Chinese believe that bat is considered as a very good symbol (good fend shui). In Chinese, bat is called 蝙蝠 (bian fu). The second character 蝠 (fu) is also sounded like the word 福 (fu or fook) which means prosperity. You may have seen this character 福 in many Chinese businesses premises as well as in their homes. On either end of this lock, you can see there are two flying bats, one on top and the other one on the left. Underneath there is a sitting man and next to him is a standing woman. It appears that they are both holding or playing a musical instrument. I believe the lock on the above banknote is the same as the one I have posted here but not with the same written characters on the rotating rings.
My Two Other Smaller Combination Padlocks In My Collection

If you collect these kind of locks, please feel free to share your comments here. Thanks.