About Numismatic Society (Asia)

Our Constitution

According to the Constitution of the Numismatic Society (Asia), this society has the following objectives:

1. To encourage and promote the hobby of collecting and studying the art of coins, notes, medals, medallions and other numismatic collectibles amongst members.

2. To help members to exchange coins, notes, medals, medallions and other numismatic collectibles amongst members.

3. To hold private auctions of coins, notes, medals, medallions and other numismatic collectibles amongst members.

4. To publish magazines, books, circulars, brochures and other publications relating to coins, notes, medals, medallions and other numismatic collectibles for distribution amongst members.

5. To advise and consult on the collecting and studying of and investing in coins, notes, medals, medallions and other numismatic collectibles.

6. In furtherance of the above objects, the Society may promote the objects within Singapore and the Asian region for the benefit of its members.

About Mr. Wong Hon Sum, Honorary President

Born in 1939, I received my early education at Yong Cheng School and Chung Cheng High before proceeding to the Teachers’ Training College and Singapore Polytechnic, where I graduated in technical education.

I was awarded the Colombo Plan scholarship in 1964 and went to the Tokyo Vocational University to study a year in electricity. Thereafter, I taught for ten years before going into business.

Over time, I grew passionate in collecting relics from the Second World War, such as currencies, propaganda leaflets, matchbox labels and postcards.

In 1998, I incepted and headed the Numismatic Society (Asia). My fields of interest include the currencies and finance of the puppet regimes in China under the Japanese and of those in the Pacific War. Old Asian, Chinese and Japanese matchbox labels, their histories and the interpretation of their drawings are also my passions.

I published “The Japanese Occupation of Malaya (Singapore) And Its Currency” in 1997 and “An Illustrated Catalogue of the Finance and Currencies of the Puppet Regimes in China under the Japanese: Manchukuo Volume.” I will be publishing my next book “WWII: An Illustrated Catalogue of Japanese Invasion Regimes Military Notes” soon.

About Mdm. Liza Leong, President

Having earned a Bachelor degree in accountancy at RMIT University in 2006 and completed the CPA post-graduate program, I work as an accounting professional across many industries.

My interest in coin collecting was first sparked by my grandmother who gave me a few Straits Settlement coins when I was in primary school. It remained a childhood hobby until I met my first mentor, the late Mr. Gan Wee Teck of “Sea Eagle Coins & Antiquities”. He introduced me to the fascinating world of ancient Chinese coins with captivating anecdotes and that started my fulfilling journey into the collection of Qing dynasty cash coins. I was 18 years old then.

I became a committee member in Numismatic Society (Asia) in 2001 and have held several positions as Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President ever since.

About Mr. Jeremy Lee, 1st Vice President

A collector since the age of 5, Jeremy received his education at Raffles Institution before furthering his studies under the HKU Foundation Scholarship at the University of Hong Kong and the University of London.

Being a lifelong notaphilist, Jeremy specialises in the financial history and banknotes of Hong Kong, Macau and the Foreign Banks in China.
To-date, Jeremy has authored more than 20 research articles in various numismatic journals and has featured in leading numismatic publications such as the Bank Note Reporter and The Numismatist. In his spare time, he has also served as a numismatic consultant for government organisations and major auction firms.

Jeremy joined the Numismatic Society (Asia) in 2021 and was subsequently elected as the current 1st Vice-President. He is also a current District Representative of the American Numismatic Association, a Life Member of the Associação de Numismática de Macau and a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong.

About Mr. Toh Teck Hwee, Alan, 2nd Vice President

A history buff, a computer engineer by training and someone who appreciates the finer things in life, beside collecting.

I somehow caught the collecting bug from my father, an avid collector of Malayan and Indonesian banknotes. I recall as a child; he would bring me along to Change Alley and the Sungei Road Thieves Market to look for bargains and to catch up with his fellow collector friends.

But it was coins that somehow caught my attention. Throughout my teenage years, I would spend many hours at flea markets, shops looking for items to fill my albums. I must have seen so many beautiful Straits and Malaya coins going for a song back then. But alas, my pocket is shallow as a student, and often must save up over time to get the pieces I want.

It was years later, when I started working, that I pick up the hobby again. My job took me to many countries and in my spare time, I will go to the local flea market, old bookshops even thrift shops to find anything of interest. It was also at this time, that I joined the Numismatic Society (Asia). From year 2000, I started building up my collection professionally, focusing mainly on Straits Settlements and Siam coinage. I also started collecting Qing Dynasty coinage, about 10 years ago, focusing on varieties and types.

All these years at the Society, enabled me to grow my knowledge and widen my collecting circle. Some of my special and uncommon pieces were acquired via the Society auctions and activities. I have also made some good friends along the way.

Beside coins, I also collect old picture postcards of Singapore and Malaya, as well as old books relating to numismatics or coinage history. Feel free to drop me an email or message to talk anything about numismatics, history, or even about a good book you read recently or where to go for good food.

About Mr. Loh Jiong Rui, Secretary

An aspiring materials scientist and engineer, Jiong Rui is currently studying in the National University of Singapore as an undergraduate. In academia, he has published various articles in international peer-reviewed journals in Small Methods, Advanced Energy Materials and Batteries & Supercaps. He is also active in modelling, particularly in systems thinking and system dynamics, having represented the National University of Singapore in the International System Dynamics Conference in 2023, Chicago.

He has a keen interest in numismatics since 2015 in a wide range of regions and periods, such as in the realm of milled Chinese copper cash, the Ottoman Empire, and others. In 2021, he joined the society as the Assistant Secretary and helped built nsa.sg. Today, he is active in publishing and sharing knowledge on coins that span all over the world, for diversity is the spice of life.