australia polymer banknotes

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2019 - Here I have a complete collection of all Australian polymer notes (single note) issued since 1988, including all commemorative / numismatic notes, joint issues and special serial numbered issues. The only set that I do not have, at the moment, is the 1998 $10 Portraits AA98/AB98 (with or without frame). This $10 Portrait set was a failure at that time and the series was later withdrawn as it was not popular among collectors. The price was not right then for me too and that was why I didn't buy them. It was the NPA intention then to release all portrait sets on a yearly basis starting with the $10 note and collectors were also given the opportunity to get them all with matching serial numbers too. Unfortunately this was not to be the case.

* Australian banknotes are also the official currency of Christmas Island, Norfolk Islands, Keeling and Cocos Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. The Australian banknotes were also once circulating as an official currency of Hebrides (Vanuatu), Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands prior to gaining independence. *

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

03 October 2021

...Australia - $100 Next Generation Series 2020 Lowe / Kennedy

Commonwealth of Australia

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
Currency : Dollar (AUD)

This is the final denomination of polymer note for the Next Generation series which first started in 2016 with the $5 polymer note.

Like all Australia polymer series since 1993, this note is printed with nd2020. This note was released to the public on 29.10.2020. The main features for the new note is basically the same as the previous polymer series as the previous $100 polymer note also featured the same two prominent Australians. They are featured on the note to celebrate the contributions made by these two people.

The designs
Front - Dame Nellie Melba (b. Melbourne 1861-1931), a soprano who performed in Australia, Europe and the USA in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Back - Sir John Monash (b. Melbourne 1865-1931) was an engineer, soldier and civic leader and a significant figure in the building-construction industry. Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. 
 
The Monash University in Melbourne was named after Sir John Monash. 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.

It should be noted that this is not the only $100 Next Generation of note issued in 2020. Apart from this, the Reserve Bank of Australia also released another one with the same designs but with different dates (nd2019) and signatures. I have posted this note in one of my previous posts and you can also view the note here too. Technically, the note that I have posted here is the second print as it is dated (nd)2020.

In addition to the $100, the Reserve Bank has also printed the$5, $20 and $50 with the year date of (nd)2020. These $50 reprints would have corrected the word 'irresponsibility' misspelled on those first issued in 2018. I have not seen any of this new $50 yet but will update here once I have the note in hand.

Here I have posted the $100 with the AA20 first prefix, and also the EA20 prefix. It is now confirmed that the EA20 is the last prefix.

One Hundred Dollars (AA20 First Prefix)
Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861 - 1931)

Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

Signatures
Governor - Philip Lowe (since 18.09.2016)
Secretary To The Treasury - Steven Kennedy (since 02.09.2019) 
 
One Hundred Dollars (EA20 Last Prefix)
Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861 - 1931)

Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

Footnote:
In addition to the $100 note, the notes for the $5, $20 and $50 x 2 have also been printed as well. For the $50 note, two varieties are printed with the signatures of Lowe/Gaetjens and Lowe/Kennedy. 

01 January 2021

...Australia - $100 First Generation Polymer ND2017 Final Reprints

Commonwealth of Australia

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
Currency - Dollar (AUD)

This is the last issue of the first polymer series and is only the denomination issued in (nd)2017. In 2016, the Reserve Bank of Australia commenced the release of the next generation of polymer banknotes and issued the $5 polymer note. Since then, the RBA has successfully released the entire series with the last note of $100 issued on 29/10/2020.

Very little has changed for this $100 note since it was first issued in 1996. However, in 2008, the reprints for these $100 notes were altered by including the names of Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash to the notes. Dame Nellie Melba was an internationally renowned soprano and Sir John Monash was an engineer, soldier and a civic leader. The Monash University in Melbourne was named after him.

Signatures
Governor - Glenn Robert Stevens (tenure 2006-2016)
Secretary to the Treasury - John A Fraser (tenure 2015-2018)
Dimensions - 159mm x 65mm

Here I have posted the first prefix AA17 and also the last prefix HE17 notes.

One Hundred Dollars (AA17 first prefix)
nd2017, Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861-1931)
Reverse - Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

One Hundred Dollars (HE17 last prefix)
nd2017, Dame Nellie Melba (b.1861-1931)
Reverse - Sir John Monash (b.1865-1931)

Click here to read more about these two famous Australians.

07 November 2019

...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)

09 September 2019

...Australia - Signature Specimens of Philip Rowe and Philip Gaetjens

Governor - Philip Lowe [since 18.09.2016]
Treasurer - Philip Gaetjens [01.08.2018-02.09.2019] (18th Secretary to the Treasury)

01 July 2019

...Australia - $50 ND2016 Reprints

Australia

Fifty Dollars ND2016 Reprints

This is the last print for the first polymer first series. This note was first introduced in 1995. In 2003, the design was modified slightly in 2003. The $50 is the only denomination printed/issued almost every year since 1995 with the exception of 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2015. None were printed between 2000 to 2002 as NPA had printed a large quantity in 1999 in case the country encountered the Y2K/Millennium bug. Needless to say this is the most popular denomination circulating in the economy in the country.

Signatures; -
Governor - Glenn Robert Stevens
Secretary To The Treasury -  John Arthur Fraser
 
Prefixes range - AA16 to DA16

Fifty Dollars
nd2016, First Prefix AA, (b.David Unaipon (b.1872-1967)
Reverse - Edith Dircksey Cowan OBE (b.1861-1932)
Fifty Dollars
nd2016, Last Prefix DA, (b.David Unaipon (b.1872-1967)
Reverse - Edith Dircksey Cowan OBE (b.1861-1932)