Zi char shop in Kovan receives defaced S$10 note with Yusof Ishak looking startled

A zi char shop in Kovan initially thought it had received a fake S$10 note after noticing that the portrait of Singapore's first president, Yusof Ishak, looked different from usual.

It turned out the note was genuine, but had been defaced.

The portrait's moustache had been scratched off and its eyelids marked, giving the late president a somewhat startled look.

Initially thought the S$10 note was fake

Speaking to Mothership, one of the cooks at 21 Seafood, Zhang Xiao Hai, said that the shop was too busy at the time so they couldn't remember who gave them this note.

The incident took place around lunchtime on Aug. 2.

Zhang added that the note felt no different from a regular one in texture.

They noticed the note looked different on the same day when they were looking for change for another customer.

They kept it and later went to check with the banks, who confirmed the note to be real but was deliberately tampered with.

The bank tellers told the owner of the shop that the note had been damaged on the surface by a sharp object, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

The owner said he plans to keep the note as a memento. He believes this is an act of mischief.

The owner told Mothership that OCBC offered to exchange the note with him but he declined.

An employee at the stall later posted about the incident on Xiaohongshu, which drew much discussion online. Many users expressed surprise that such an unusual-looking note was genuine, with some commenting that they would be willing to pay a premium to buy it.

Defacing notes is an offence

Deliberately damaging or defacing a currency note is an offence in Singapore, and if found guilty, could result in a conviction to a fine not exceeding S$2,000.

According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) website, damaged notes lose their face value, and businesses are entitled to refuse them.

Top image courtesy of Zhang Xiao Hai