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Australian banknotes are made from a type of plastic, or polymer, specifically, polypropylene polymer. They are produced by Note Printing Australia, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia. The country was the first in the world to issue polymer banknotes in 1988, which are more durable, recyclable, and harder to counterfeit than paper notes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Material | Polymer, specifically polypropylene polymer |
| Durability | More durable than paper notes |
| Recyclability | Easily recyclable |
| Cleanliness | Cleaner than paper notes |
| Security features | Many security features, including metameric inks, microprinting, and tactile features like Braille dots |
| Printing | Printed by Note Printing Australia Limited (NPA) |
| Denominations | $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 |
| First issued | 1988 (first polymer banknote) |
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What You'll Learn
Australian banknotes are made of polymer
The process of making polymer banknotes begins with melting down plastic pellets and blowing them up into a huge bubble. This bubble is then pressed into thin sheets of polymer substrate. These sheets are then printed with a white ink, which helps other inks adhere to the plastic. The clear window in the banknote is also formed at this stage.
The sheets are then run through a press that prints on both sides simultaneously, adding the background colours and patterns. The sheets are then cut into individual banknotes, inspected for quality, and shrink-wrapped before being stored in a strong room prior to distribution.
Polymer banknotes have several advantages over traditional paper notes. They are more durable and easily recyclable, and they have enhanced security features. For example, the first polymer $10 note issued in Australia in 1988 had a transparent window with a diffractive optically variable device (DOVD) image of Captain James Cook, making it more difficult to counterfeit.
Since Australia's transition to polymer banknotes, several other countries have followed suit, including New Zealand, Romania, and the United Kingdom.
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This includes polypropylene polymer
Australian banknotes are made from a type of plastic, or polymer, specifically polypropylene polymer. This makes the notes tough and durable. Australian banknotes start out as plastic pellets, which are melted and blown into a three-storey bubble. The walls of the bubble are pressed together and run through a roller to form a long thin roll of clear plastic film. After cooling, this film is cut into sheets and printed with a white ink, which helps the other ink stick to the plastic. This is also when the clear window in the banknote is formed. These sheets are then run through a press that prints on both sides simultaneously.
Polymer banknotes usually have three levels of security devices. The primary security devices are easily recognisable by consumers and may include intaglio, metal strips, and the clear areas of the banknote. Secondary security devices are detectable by a machine, and tertiary security devices may only be detectable by the issuing authority when a banknote is returned. Polymer banknotes last significantly longer than paper notes, reducing environmental impact and the cost of production and replacement.
The first polymer banknote was issued in 1988 as a $10 note commemorating the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. By 1996, the Australian dollar was switched completely to polymer banknotes, and Australia was the first country to produce polymer banknotes. Polymer banknotes are now used in many other countries, including New Zealand, Romania, the UK, and Nigeria.
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They are printed by Note Printing Australia
Australian banknotes are printed by Note Printing Australia Limited (NPA), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia. NPA's main production building is a four-storey reinforced concrete structure located on a 26-hectare site at Craigieburn, Victoria, 25 kilometres north of Melbourne. The site is highly secure, with features such as high-security perimeter fencing, armed guards, and sophisticated electronic security and surveillance systems.
The process of printing Australian banknotes involves several steps. It begins with plastic pellets, which are melted and blown into a large, three-storey bubble. This bubble is then transformed into a long, thin roll of clear plastic film by pressing the walls together and running it through a roller. After cooling, the film is cut into sheets and printed with a white ink to prepare it for subsequent printing. The clear window in the banknote is also formed at this stage.
The sheets are then ready for the main printing process, where they are fed into a press that prints both sides simultaneously. Different-sized sheets are used for each denomination, and the number of banknotes printed on a sheet varies. For example, a sheet of the new $5 banknotes has 54 polymer banknotes, while the $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations have 45 banknotes per sheet. The first printing stage involves applying background colours and patterns to both sides of the polymer sheets simultaneously. These printing machines are highly efficient, capable of printing at least 8,000 sheets per hour.
After the initial printing, the sheets undergo additional security measures not typically found in paper banknotes. The first polymer series included several security features, such as intaglio, metal strips, clear areas, and metameric inks. The new series of banknotes introduced two additional security features not previously used on Australian banknotes. These features are applied as a continuous strip in the top-to-bottom window, followed by a rolling colour effect using an optically variable ink.
Once the printing and security features are complete, the sheets are guillotined into individual banknotes. Each banknote is then inspected to ensure it meets the required quality standards. The finished banknotes are shrink-wrapped, packed into containers, and stored in a strong room before being distributed across the country. Since 1993, Australian banknotes have been numbered using a 'Year-Dated System', with each banknote on a given sheet having a different letter prefix.
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The first polymer banknote was issued in 1988
Australia was the first country to produce polymer banknotes, made of polypropylene polymer, which were produced by Note Printing Australia. The first polymer banknote was issued in 1988 as a $10 note commemorating the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. This was the first banknote to be produced on a polymer substrate, rather than on paper. It was also the first banknote to feature an optically variable device (OVD), which featured an image of Captain James Cook.
The development of polymer banknote technology has been a resounding success. The primary reason for developing polymer banknotes was to combat the risk of counterfeiting, but there are many other benefits to using polymer over paper. Polymer banknotes are cleaner than paper notes, more durable, and easily recyclable. They last over four times longer than paper notes, resulting in a decreased environmental impact and a reduced cost of production and replacement.
The polymer substrate's development involved a considerable investment of time and money. It took about twenty years and an estimated expenditure of $20,000,000 to produce the first polymer banknote. The commemorative $10 note was released in January 1988, with the original issue having problems with the holographic security feature detaching from the note. The banknote was withdrawn and re-issued in October 1988.
The Reserve Bank of Australia saw the potential in plastic notes and began preparations for an entirely new series made from polymer, starting with the $5 note in 1992. By 1996, the Australian dollar was switched completely to polymer banknotes.
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They have three levels of security devices
Australian banknotes are made from a type of plastic, or polymer, specifically polypropylene polymer. They are tough, durable, and easily recyclable.
Polymer banknotes usually have three levels of security devices. The first level of security features, known as primary security devices, are easily recognisable by consumers. These may include intaglio, metal strips, and the clear areas of the banknote. The second level of security features can be detected by a machine. The third level of security features may only be detectable by the issuing authority when a banknote is returned; these are known as tertiary security devices.
All Australian notes also contain microprinting for further security. The first polymer notes issued in 1988 had 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.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian banknotes are made from a type of plastic, or polymer.
Polymer banknotes are made from a synthetic polymer such as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). They are more durable than paper notes, have a lower environmental impact, and are more cost-effective to produce and replace.
Australia first introduced polymer banknotes in 1988, becoming the first country to do so. By 1996, the Australian dollar had completely switched to polymer notes.
Polymer banknotes have multiple security features not found in paper notes, making them harder to counterfeit. They are also cleaner, more durable, and easily recyclable.
Australian banknotes start out as plastic pellets, which are melted and blown into a large bubble. The bubble walls are pressed together and rolled into a thin sheet of clear plastic film. After cooling, the film is cut into sheets and printed with white ink, which helps other inks stick. The sheets are then printed on both sides, and the clear window is formed. Finally, the sheets are guillotined into individual notes, inspected for quality, shrink-wrapped, and stored before distribution.
