Banknotes of the Australian dollar#Current series (polymer)
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{full citations needed|date=February 2015}}
The notes of the Australian dollar were first issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 14 February 1966, when Australia changed to decimal currency and replaced the pound with the dollar.{{cite web|title=The Reserve Bank and Reform of the Currency: 1960–1988: Australia's First Decimal Banknotes|url=http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/rba-currency-reform/#australias-first-decimal-banknotes|website=Reserve Bank of Australia Museum|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|access-date=31 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427094349/http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/rba-currency-reform/#australias-first-decimal-banknotes|archive-date=27 April 2016|url-status=dead}} This currency was a lot easier for calculating compared to the previous Australian pound worth 20 shillings or 240 pence.
First series (paper)
The $1 (10/-), $2 (£1), $10 (£5), and $20 (£10) had exact exchange rates with pounds and were a similar colour to the notes they replaced, but the $5 (worth £2 10s) did not, and was not introduced until May 1967 when the public had become more familiar with decimal currency. The original notes were designed by Gordon Andrews, who rejected traditional Australian clichés in favour of interesting and familiar subjects such as Aboriginal culture, women, the environment, architecture and aeronautics.{{Cite web|url=http://museum.rba.gov.au/exhibitions/the-decimal-revolution/gordon-andrews/|title=The Designer: Gordon Andrews {{!}} The Decimal Revolution {{!}} Reserve Bank of Australia – Museum|last=Australia|first=Reserve Bank of|language=en-AU|access-date=2016-09-13}}
Notes issued between 1966 and 1973 bore the title "Commonwealth of Australia". Starting from 1974, the title on the new notes only read "Australia" and the legal tender phrase was also changed from "Legal Tender throughout the Commonwealth of Australia and the territories of the Commonwealth" to "This Australian Note is legal tender throughout Australia and its territories".
The $50 note was introduced in 1973 and the $100 note in 1984, in response to inflation requiring larger denominations for transactions. The $1 note was replaced by a $1 coin in 1984, while the $2 note was replaced by a smaller $2 coin in 1988.{{cite web |url=http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/rba-currency-reform/#inflation-and-the-note-issue |title=The Reserve Bank and Reform of the Currency: 1960–1988, Inflation and the Note Issue |publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia |work=Reserve Bank of Australia Music um |access-date=31 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427094349/http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/rba-currency-reform/#inflation-and-the-note-issue |archive-date=27 April 2016 |url-status=dead }} Although no longer printed, all previous notes of the Australian dollar are still considered legal tender.{{cite web|url=http://banknotes.rba.gov.au/legal/deliberate-damage/|title=DELIBERATE DAMAGE|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|quote=All Australian banknotes, present and all past issues, are lawfully current in Australia.|work=Legal|access-date=9 February 2015}}
| class="wikitable"
|+Paper seriesRenniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values{{cite web|url=https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/other-banknotes/|title=Other Banknotes|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|access-date=16 December 2020}} | |||||
| colspan="2"| Image | rowspan="2"| Value | rowspan="2"| Dimensions | rowspan="2"| colours | colspan="2"| Description | rowspan="2"| Date of circulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Back | Front | Back | ||
| 98px
|98px | $1 | 140 × 70 mm | Brown and orange | David Malangi (artwork) | 1966–1984 | |||||
| 102px
| $2 | 145 × 72.5 mm | Green and yellow | 1966–1988 | |||||
| 105px
| 105px | $5 | 150 × 75 mm | Mauve | 1967–1992 | |||||
| 109px
| $10 | 155 × 77.5 mm | Blue and orange | 1966–1993 | |||||
| 112px
| 112px | $20 | 160 × 80 mm | Red and yellow (orange backset) | Sir Charles Kingsford Smith | 1966–1994 | |||||
| 116px
| 116px | $50 | 165 × 82.5 mm | Yellow, blue, brown and green | 1973–1995 | |||||
| 120px
| 120px | $100 | 172 × 82.5 mm | Light blue and grey | 1984–1996 | |||||
| colspan="8"|{{Standard banknote table notice|standard_scale=Y|BrE=Y}} | |||||
| colspan="12" |
;Remarks |
Polymer commemorative $10 note
In 1988, the Reserve Bank of Australia issued $10 notes in plastic. The polypropylene polymer banknotes were produced by Note Printing Australia, to commemorate the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia.{{cite web|url=http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/polymer-banknotes/#why-polymer|title=Introducing Polymer Banknotes: A New Era|website=Reserve Bank of Australia Museum|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|access-date=31 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215064223/http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/polymer-banknotes/#why-polymer|archive-date=15 February 2016|url-status=dead}} These notes contained a transparent "window" with a diffractive optically variable device (DOVD) image of Captain James Cook as a security feature. Australian notes were the first in the world to use such features. All current Australian notes also contain microprinting for further security.{{cite web|title=List of Security Features |url=http://banknotes.rba.gov.au/counterfeit-detection/list-of-security-features/ |work=Counterfeit Detection |publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia |access-date=9 February 2015 |quote=The security features that can be used to check a banknote are: Polymer Substrate ... Clear Window ... See-through Registration Device ... Shadow Image ... Intaglio Print ... Background Print (Offset) ... Micro-printing ... Fluorescent Ink}}
| class="wikitable" | ||||||||
| Note | Obverse design | Reverse design | Dimensions (mm) | Weight (g) | Main colour | Window image
!Embossing | Printed | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10
|HMS Supply anchored at Sydney Cove |Australian Aboriginal culture and peoples |155 × 77.5 mm{{Cite web|url=http://www.polymernotes.com/australia10.html|title=Australia $10 – 1998|access-date=23 February 2019}} | | | | ||||||||
| colspan="12" |{{Standard banknote table notice|standard_scale=Y|BrE=Y}} | ||||||||
| colspan="12" |
;Remarks |
Second series (polymer)
There were initial difficulties with the first polymer note issued; the $10 note had problems with the holographic security feature detaching from the note itself. However, the Reserve Bank saw potential in the issue of plastic notes and commenced preparations for an entirely new series made from polymer, commencing with the $5 note in 1992. Today all Australian notes are made of polymer. The Reserve Bank also changed the individuals depicted on the currency, becoming one of only five other countries in the world that depict a greater number of women than men on their banknotes.{{Cite web |last=Coade |first=Melissa |date=2023-05-30 |title=Half the people depicted on Australian banknotes are women but it’s a superficial measure of equality |url=https://www.themandarin.com.au/221570-five-out-of-nine-people-on-australian-banknotes-are-women/ |access-date= |website=The Mandarin |language=en}}
In April 1995, the design of the $5 notes was updated to match the rest of the New Banknote Series, with additional slight changes in 1996. In 2001, a special commemorative 'Federation' $5 note was produced,{{cite web |title=Banknotes in Circulation-$5 BANKNOTE |url=http://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/banknotes-in-circulation/five-dollar/ |website=banknotes.rba.gov.au |publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia |access-date=9 February 2015}} but in 2002, the previous version's production commenced again. From 2002, the design of all notes (except for the $5 note picturing the Queen) was slightly changed to include the names of the people pictured on them under the portraits, and swapping the order of the signatures of officials on the notes.
| class="wikitable"
|+Second series | |||||||||
| rowspan="2" | Note
! colspan="2" |Image | rowspan="2" | Obverse design | rowspan="2" | Reverse design | rowspan="2" | Dimensions4 (mm) | rowspan="2" | Weight4 (g) | rowspan="2" | Main colour | rowspan="2" | Window image | rowspan="2" | Embossing5 | rowspan="2" | Printed | rowspan="2" | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front
!Back | |||||||||
| $5 original1
| | | | 130 × 65 × 0.1130 | 0.764 | Pale mauve{{cite book | title=Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values | edition= 19th | editor=Ian W. Pitt | publisher=Renniks Publications | location = Chippendale, NSW | year=2000 | isbn=0-9585574-4-6 | pages = 168}} | rowspan="2" | Gum flower | rowspan="2" {{n/a}} | 1992–1993 | 7 Jul 1992 | |||||||||
| $5 recoloured
| | | | 130 × 65 × 0.1256 | 0.783 | rowspan="2" | Violet, pink |1995–2015 | 24 April 1995 | |||||||||
| $5 Federation2{{cite web | url=https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/other-banknotes/ | title=Other Banknotes }}
| | | 130 × 65 × 0.1259 | 0.815 | Leaf-shaped window | "5" | 2001 | 1 Jan 2001 | |||||||||
| $103
| 96px | 96px | 137 × 65 × 0.1294 | 0.841 | Blue | Windmill | Wavy lines | 1993–2015 | 1 Nov 1993 | |||||||||
| $20
| 101px | 101px | 144 × 65 × 0.1332 | 0.900 | Red/Orange | Compass | "20" | 1994–2013 | 31 Oct 1994 | |||||||||
| $50
| 106px | 106px | 151 × 65 × 0.1400 | 0.955 | Yellow | "50" | 1995–2016 | 4 Oct 1995 | |||||||||
| $100
| 111px | | 158 × 65 × 0.1408 | 1.006 | Green | Lyrebird | "100" | 1996–2017 | 15 May 1996 | |||||||||
| colspan="14" |
;Remarks
|
Third series (polymer)
On 13 February 2015 the Reserve Bank of Australia announced that the next series of Australia notes would have a tactile feature to help the visually impaired community to tell the value of the note after a successful campaign led by 15-year-old Connor McLeod, who is blind, to introduce the new feature.{{cite press release |title=Next Generation Banknotes: Additional Feature for the Vision Impaired |url=http://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2015/mr-15-02.html |publisher=Media Office-Reserve Bank of Australia |access-date=19 February 2015 |website=www.rba.gov.au |date=13 February 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Haxton|first1=Nance |title=RBA to introduce tactile banknotes after 15yo blind boy Connor McLeod campaigns for change |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-18/13yo-blind-boy-successfully-campaigns-for-tactile-banknotes/6144262 |access-date=19 February 2015 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=18 February 2015}} The notes retain the key aspects of the previous series' design such as the colour, size and people portrayed for ease of recognition and to minimise disruption to businesses.
The new $5 note includes the tactile feature and was issued on 1 September 2016, to coincide with Australia's National Wattle Day,[http://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2016/mr-16-02.html Next Generation of Banknotes: Issuance Date for the New $5 Banknote] Reserve Bank of Australia (www.rba.gov.au). Retrieved on 2016-02-16. followed by the new $10 banknote on 20 September 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2017/mr-17-04.html|title=Next Generation of Banknotes: $10 Design Reveal|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|date=February 17, 2017}} The new $50 note was released for circulation on 18 October 2018,{{cite web|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2018/mr-18-22.html|title=Next Generation of Banknotes: Circulation Date for the New $50 Banknote|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|date=September 5, 2018}} followed by the new $20 note on 9 October 2019,{{cite press release|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2019/mr-19-28.html|title=Next Generation of Banknotes: $20 Enters General Circulation|location=Sydney, Australia|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|date=8 October 2019|access-date=25 February 2020}} and the new $100 was released on the 29 October 2020.{{cite press release|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2020/mr-20-04.html|title=Next Generation of Banknotes: $100 Design Reveal|location=Sydney, Australia|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|date=24 February 2020|access-date=25 February 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2020/mr-20-21.html|title=Next Generation of Banknotes: Circulation Date for the New $100 Banknote|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|date=30 September 2020}} The Reserve Bank currently has no plans to release fourth series notes in denominations higher than $100, despite the amount of inflation that has occurred since the $100 note was introduced in 1984.
In May 2019 the Reserve Bank confirmed that the $50 note contained a misspelling of the word "responsibility" on the reverse design, a typo that would be corrected in future printings.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48210733|title=Australia's A$50 note misspells responsibility |publisher=BBC |date=May 8, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2019}}
It was announced on 2 February 2023 that the new $5 note would not feature Charles III, but rather an Indigenous design. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, "The monarch will still be on the coins, but the $5 note will say more about our history and our heritage and our country, and I see that as a good thing."{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-king-charles-iii-australia-business-25f05caba7d4d71b6952e52d695f4107|title=Australia is removing British monarchy from its bank notes|work=AP News|first=Nick|last=Perry|first2=Rod|last2=McGuirk|date=2 February 2023|accessdate=2 February 2023}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ Next Generation Banknote (NGB) series (2016–present) | |||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Value | colspan="2"| Image | colspan="2"| Design | rowspan="2"| Dimensions1 (mm) | rowspan="2"| Weight1 (g) | rowspan="2"| Main colour | rowspan="2"| Window image | rowspan="2"|Embossing3 | rowspan="2"|Printed | rowspan="2"|Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Back | Front | Back | ||||||
| $5
| 91px | 91px | 130 × 65 | unknown | Purple | Top to Bottom window2 | Federation star | Currently printing | 1 September 2016 | |||||||||
| $10
|96px |96px | 137 × 65 | unknown | Blue | Top to bottom window | Pen nib | Currently printing | 20 September 2017 | |||||||||
| $20
| 144 × 65 |0.82g |Red |Top to bottom window |Compass |Currently printing | 9 October 2019 | |||||||||
| $50
| 151 × 65 | unknown | Yellow | Top to bottom window | Book | Currently printing | 18 October 2018 | |||||||||
| $100
| 111px | 111px | Sir John Monash | 158 × 65 | unknown | Green | Top to bottom window | Fan |Currently printing | 29 October 2020 | |||||||||
| colspan="12"|{{Standard banknote table notice|standard_scale=Y|BrE=Y}} Source: Reserve Bank of Australia.{{cite web|title=A Complete Series of Polymer Banknotes: 1992–1996|url=http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/a-complete-series-of-polymer-banknotes/|website=Reserve Bank of Australia Museum|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia|access-date=31 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215071843/http://museum.rba.gov.au/displays/a-complete-series-of-polymer-banknotes/|archive-date=15 February 2016|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/banknote-features|title=RBA Banknotes: Banknote Features|access-date=2018-04-09|language=en}} | |||||||||
| colspan="12"|
;Remarks
|
See also
{{Portal|Australia|Money|Numismatics}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{refbegin}}
- [http://www.coinsandaustralia.com/banknotes-prices-value.php Australian banknotes price guide and values] coinsandaustralia.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070407194415/http://www.australianstamp.com/coin-web/aust/notes/decimal.htm Australian Decimal Banknotes] australianstamp.com
- The [http://www.moneytracker.com.au/ Money Tracker] site allows users to track Australian banknotes as they circulate around Australia.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia has a [http://museum.rba.gov.au/timeline/ full timeline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215050836/http://museum.rba.gov.au/timeline/ |date=15 February 2016 }} of Australian banknotes.
{{refend}}
{{Australian currency}}
{{Economy of Australia}}