...Australia - $20 ND2019 Next Gen Polymer Banknote and $5 (Reprint) and $100 (First Issue)

Commonwealth of Australia

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

Currency - Dollar (AUD)

 

In 2019, Australia introduced the fourth Next Generation series of banknotes with the new $20 polymer note. This note was released on 09.10.2019. As expected, AA19 is the first prefix and the last prefix is EA19.

However, unlike previous releases since 2016, this new $20 came in two varieties;-

1) with signatures of Philip Lowe & John Arthur Fraser (tenure 15.01.2015 - 31.07.2018); and

2) with signatures of Philip Lowe & Philip Gaetjens (tenure 01.08.2018 - 02.09.2019).

At the time of the release in October 2019, the expectation was that the new notes would have the signature combination of Philip Lowe and Philip Gaetjens, after all, Philip Gaetjens was already appointed Secretary to the Treasury on 01.08.2019. The Philip Lowe/John Arthur Fraser variety was not discovered by collectors until a few months later and because of this, the Philip Lowe/Philip Gaetjens notes are the more common variety than the Philip Lowe/John Arthur Fraser notes. 

 

Both notes are printed with the first prefix of AA19 and the last prefix EA19.

The main features for this new series is basically the same as the last series;-

Front
*Mary Reibey - she came to Australia as a convict from England. Her crime was for stealing a horse in August 1791 and was sentenced to 7 years transportation and arrived in Sydney in 1792. She soon earned a reputation as an astute and successful businesswoman running shipping and trading enterprises. She was known for her support of charity, religion, and education. Her story is told through an image of a Port Jackson schooner in Sydney Cove in the early 1800s. It's similar to the type she once owned. Beside it is a traditional Eora nowie (canoe). Aboriginal women fishing from these vessels were a common sight on the harbour in Reibey's time.
br />Back
*John Flynn - pioneered the world's first aerial medical service in 1928. The aim was to spread a 'mantle of safety' across 7.65 million square kilometers of outback. Today, we know this as the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). It's still the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical emergency and healthcare service in the world. His stories are told through a RFDS De Havilland aircraft leaving a remote Broken Hill homestead in 1948 and a pedal-powered transceiver used by the service to improve communication in remote areas.

Twenty Dollars

nd2019, Mary Reibey (b.1777-1855)

Signatures

Governor - Philip Lowe (tenure 18.09.2016-17.09.2023)

Secretary To The Treasury - John Arthur Fraser (tenure 15.01.2015-31.07.2018)

 

Reverse - John Flynn (b.1880-1951)

Twenty Dollars

nd2019, Mary Reibey (b.1777-1855)

Signatures
Governor - Philip Lowe (tenure 18.09.2016-17.09.2023)
Secretary To The Treasury - Philip Gaetjens (tenure 01.08.2018-02.09.2019)

Reverse - John Flynn (b.1880-1951)

 

In addition to the $20 new series, the Reserve Bank also reprinted the $5 and also printed the Next Generation of notes for the $100 series.

 

There are no changes to the design for the $5 notes except that it has the signatures of Philip Lowe and Steven Kennedy. I believe this was the first time that the Reserve Bank has printed/issued polymer banknotes with three signature varieties in a given year since the introduction of the polymer banknote series in 1992. 

It should also be noted that this is the third print for the $5 Next Generation series. In 2018, RBA printed the $5 nd2018, however I am not sure if these have been released yet. Perhaps it may have and I am not aware of this.

 

Five Dollars - First Prefix

nd2019, Queen Elizabeth The Second

Parliament House in Canberra

 

 Signatures

 

Governor - Philip Lowe (tenure 18.09.2016-17.09.2023)
Secretary To The Treasury - Steven Kennedy (tenure 02.09.2019-date)

 

Five Dollars - Last Prefix

nd2019, Queen Elizabeth The Second

nd2019, Parliament House in Canberra

 

One Hundred Dollars - Next Generation new series. This $100 has a date of 2019(nd) and was released in 2020, together with the nd2020 series. Again, it is not sure why the RBA does it this way, but since the $20 nd2019 was released with two varieties in 2019, many collectors kept a look out for the impossibility of varieties and they were not disappointed. Perhaps, this was done on purpose due to the change over of the Secretary To The Treasury. Please see footnote below for details.

 

One Hundred Dollars - Normal Prefix

nd2019, Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861-1931)

Front - Dame Nellie Melba (b.Helen Porter Mitchell, Melbourne 1861-1931), was a soprano who performed in Australia, Europe and the USA in the late 19th and early 20th century. She was born in the suburb Richmond in Melbourne, and started singing at the age of six. In 1886 she moved to London in search of singing engagements but without any success. She then went to study in Paris and Belgium and this was where she found success. She then went on and performed her singing career in London, Europe, United States and as well as in Australia. She returned to Australia and died in St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney on 23.02.1931 at the age of 69. She was buried in Lilydale, an eastern suburb in Melbourne. News of her death made front page headlines in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Europe. To the right of her portrait is her performing and with musical notes next to her.

Signatures

Governor - Philip Lowe (tenure 18.09.2016-17.09.2023)
Secretary To The Treasury - Philip Gaetjens (tenure 01.08.2018-02.09.2019)

 

Back - General Sir John Monash (b. Melbourne 1865-1931) was a civil engineer, soldier, civic leader and a significant figure in the building-construction industry. John Monash is considered the most famous military officer in Australian history, and today he is remembered by a public university, a freeway, local government, a medical center all in Victoria. A small town in South Australia is also named after him, including a suburb in Canberra and a town in Israel too. The Monash University in Melbourne is named after him. This is also the first time in the history of Australia that a university is named after a person and not the name of a city or a state. Monash University was founded in 1958. The Shrine of Remembrance (The Shrine) in Melbourne is printed in the top left corner. The Shrine is a war memorial which was built in 1922 to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War l. Today, it serves as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war as long as there were Australians involved.

 

Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

One Hundred Dollars - First prefix AA19

Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861-1931)

General Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

 

One Hundred Dollars - Last prefix EA19

Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861-1931)

General Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

For the $100 notes, only 118,115 pieces were printed for each prefix.

 

Footnote 👇

1) Philip Lowe & John Arthur Fraser (tenure 15.01.2015 - 31.07.2018);

2) Philip Lowe & Philip Gaetjens (tenure 01.08.2018 - 02.09.2019); and

3) Philip Lowe & Steven Kennedy (since 02.06.2016)