Lexi Webster
Australia's currency is the Australian dollar, which is made up of coins and notes. The Royal Australian Mint produces the coins, while the Reserve Bank of Australia prints the notes. Australian notes are made of polymer plastic, making them waterproof and tear-resistant. Each note has a distinct colour, making it easy to identify. For example, the $5 note is purple, the $10 note is blue, the $20 note is red, and the $50 note is yellow. The $100 note, which is rarely seen, is green.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Currency | Australian Dollar (AUD) |
| Symbol | $ |
| Subdivisions | 1 Australian Dollar = 100 cents |
| Note Colors | $5 note: Purple/Pinkish Purple, $10 note: Blue, $20 note: Red/Salmon Pink/Orange-y Red, $50 note: Yellow, $100 note: Green |
| Coin Colors | Silver, Bronze, Cupronickel, Aluminium Bronze |
| Coin Denominations | 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, $1, and $2 |
| Coin Features | Each coin has a different size and design. The heads side has a picture of Queen Elizabeth II (newer coins will have King Charles III), and the tails side has a special Australian design indicating the amount. |
| Note Features | Each note has a distinct design and security features. |
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What You'll Learn
$5 notes are purple
The $5 note in Australia is purple. It is the smallest banknote in terms of size and value. The $5 note was first issued on 29 May 1967, fifteen months after the currency was changed from the pound to the dollar. The first polymer version of the note was introduced on 7 July 1992. This was a pale mauve colour, which some people found difficult to distinguish from the $10 note.
In 1995, a new design was issued with a deeper shade of purple and a different font. This was updated again in 2001 with a commemorative design featuring Sir Henry Parkes on the front and Catherine Helen Spence on the back. On 1 September 2016, a fourth polymer $5 banknote was issued, with even more security features than before, including a clear top-to-bottom window.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has recently announced that the new $5 note will celebrate First Nations peoples, with a design chosen by an Imagery Selection Panel made up of senior representatives from the Reserve Bank of Australia, Note Printing Australia, and prominent First Nations business and community members. The new note will not feature a portrait, but instead will celebrate the history and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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$10 notes are blue
Australian banknotes come in different colours, making it easy to distinguish between denominations. The $10 note is blue, a colour it inherited from the Australian £5 note, which it replaced when the currency changed from the Australian pound to the Australian dollar in 1966.
The $10 note has undergone several design changes over the years. The first issue was a paper banknote, followed by a commemorative hi-polymer note celebrating the bicentennial of Australian settlement. This was the first polymer banknote of its kind. Subsequent issues include the 1993-2017 polymer note and the 2017 polymer note, which features a transparent window.
The 2017 $10 note features the Bramble Wattle (Acacia victoriae) and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). The obverse design includes the sailing ship HMS Supply anchored at Sydney Cove, with the early colony in the background. The reverse design reflects Australian Aboriginal culture and peoples, featuring an Aboriginal youth with ceremonial paint by Wayne Williams, a Morning Star Pole by Terry Yumbulul, other Aboriginal artworks, and a human-like figure from Dreamtime mythology.
The polymer note is designed by Max Robinson and features Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson on the obverse, with a horse from the Snowy Mountains region. Dame Mary Gilmore is on the reverse, with a bullock train and verses from her poetry. Her signature is also included.
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$20 notes are red/orange
The colour of the Australian $20 note has been a subject of debate for many years. While some people perceive the note as predominantly red, others argue that it appears to be orange. The note's intricate artwork and use of multiple colours, including white, red, and orange, can make it challenging to identify its primary colour at a glance.
Official documentation from the Reserve Bank of Australia, the issuer of Australian banknotes, states that the colour of the twenty-dollar note is "predominantly red". This red colour has earned the note the colloquial nickname "lobster". The note's red colour is a notable feature, especially when compared to other Australian banknotes, such as the yellow $50 note and the purple $5 note.
However, the presence of white spaces and orange stripes within the design creates an interesting optical effect. The white spaces make the note appear lighter, and the orange stripes contribute to a perception of reddish-orange or salmon pink for some observers. This effect is similar to how a black-and-white image in a newspaper can appear grey due to the interplay of the colours.
The colour debate also extends to the note's earlier iterations. The original paper $20 note, issued in 1966, had a distinct orange background with a gradient of yellow and red. The subsequent polymer notes, issued in 1994 and 2019, retained a similar red-orange colour mix, leading to the "lobster" nickname.
While the official documentation and many Australians consider the note red, the colour debate persists due to individual perceptions of colour and the intricate design of the note, which includes a mix of red, orange, and white elements.
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$50 notes are yellow
The $50 notes in Australia are yellow. They are also polymer banknotes, which Australia adopted in 1988, becoming one of the first countries to use this type of currency. Polymer notes are stronger, more secure, and last longer than paper notes. They also make it easier to include features that aid people who are visually impaired.
The $50 note is the most widely circulated banknote in Australia. It features portraits of two prominent figures in the country's history: David Unaipon and Edith Cowan. Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man, was an inventor and Australia's first published Aboriginal writer. He made significant contributions to science and literature and worked to improve conditions for Aboriginal people. Cowan was the first female member of an Australian parliament and a social worker. She helped found the Women's Service Guild, which advocated for equal rights of citizenship, and was a founding member of the Children's Protection Society, which played a key role in establishing the Children's Court.
The note also includes a variety of security features, such as a clear window with the Southern Cross star formation, raised printing, and serial numbers that glow under ultraviolet (UV) light. Additionally, the banknote features depictions of the Acacia humifusa and the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), which are native Australian species.
The $50 note has undergone design changes over the years. The original paper $50 note, introduced in 1973, featured a scientific theme with portraits of pathologist Howard Walter Florey and veterinary scientist Sir Ian Clunies Ross. The current polymer note, introduced in 1995, includes shields from Unaipon's Ngarrindjeri nation and images portraying cultural practices, such as the miwi and navel cord exchange.
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$100 notes are green
The $100 note is a key denomination of the Australian dollar. Australian banknotes were first issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1966, when the country transitioned from the Australian pound to the dollar. The $100 note was introduced in 1984 and has since undergone several changes.
The $100 note was initially issued as a paper note with a very light turquoise-blue colour. However, in May 1996, it transitioned to a green polymer note, featuring portraits of Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash, along with images from the First World War. This change made Australia the first country to print notes on polymer plastic instead of paper. Polymer notes offer enhanced durability, security, and resistance to counterfeiting compared to traditional paper notes.
The design of the $100 note includes several security features. It incorporates a watermark of Captain James Cook, a metallic strip, and a clear window with embossing. The clear window displays a raised image of the number 100 and a print of a lyrebird. Additionally, fluorescent colouring was added to the serial numbers, and a patch reveals the banknote's value under ultraviolet light.
The $100 note holds significant value in Australian currency. In June 2017, approximately 337 million $100 notes were in circulation, accounting for 22% of all circulating notes. Despite considerations to abolish the $100 note to combat the black economy, the Reserve Bank of Australia affirmed that there are no plans to discontinue it. The most recent version of the $100 note was released into circulation on 29 October 2020.
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Frequently asked questions
The colour of Australian bank notes varies by denomination. $5 notes are pinkish-purple, $10 notes are blue, $20 notes are red or orange-red, $50 notes are yellow, and $100 notes are green.
Australian coins are produced by the Royal Australian Mint. Each coin has a different size, so they can be told apart by touch. The coins are made from a range of metals, including bronze, cupronickel, silver, and aluminium bronze.
Australian notes are made from polymer plastic, which makes them waterproof and hard to rip. Australia was the first country to print notes on polymer plastic instead of paper.
