Next Australia Generation of Banknotes: $5 Banknote Design Reveal

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Media Release
Next Generation of Banknotes: $5 Banknote Design Reveal

Number2016-09
Date12 April 2016
The Bank has today released images of the new $5 banknote that will be issued into circulation from 1 September 2016. The images show the basic design artwork of each side of the banknote. As previously announced, key aspects of the existing design – colour, size and people portrayed – are retained for ease of recognition and to minimise the disruption to businesses. There is a new ‘tactile’ feature to help the vision-impaired community distinguish between different denominations of banknotes.

The Governor, Glenn Stevens, said:
‘Innovative new security features have been incorporated to help keep Australia’s banknotes secure from counterfeiting into the future. As can be seen in the images, these include a distinctive top-to-bottom window. Each banknote in the new series will depict a different species of Australian wattle and a native bird within a number of the elements. On the $5 banknote, these are the Prickly Moses wattle and the Eastern Spinebill.’

The designs are the culmination of a process of extensive consultation with subject-matter experts and the cash-handling industry, as well as qualitative research involving focus groups. Images of the design artwork for the new $5 banknote have been revealed today to facilitate preparations for the smooth introduction of the new banknotes. Information on the new design and security features (which will be common to all banknotes in the new series) and how they work will be part of a public awareness campaign over coming months. The objective of this campaign will be to ensure that members of the public are able to identify and use the range of new security features on the new $5 banknotes when they start to receive them.

Issuance of the new $5 banknote will commence on 1 September, although it will take some time for the new banknotes to be widely circulated. The current series of banknotes can continue to be used even after the new banknotes are issued.

The new generation $5 banknote - front view.
This image shows the basic design artwork for the signature side of the new $5 banknote.
The new generation $5 banknote - back view.
This image shows the basic design artwork for the serial number side of the new $5 banknote.

Enquiries
Media and Communications
Information Department
Reserve Bank of Australia
SYDNEY

Phone: +61 2 9551 9720
Fax: +61 2 9551 8033
E-mail: rbainfo@rba.gov.au

Notes to editors
Additional and high resolution images, and production footage are available.

http://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2016/mr-16-09.html

Get rid of the giant yellow protozoa and it would be a decent looking note.

Get rid of the giant yellow protozoa and it would be a decent looking note.

If only that was enough... The color scheme is all over the place, there is no dominant color. The transition between the design elements is non-existent. The Queen's portrait is outdated. It looks like a cheap fantasy note eBay is flooded with these days. The current Australian $5 notes may seem bland to some, but at least their design is clean.

One of unhappy Australians photoshopped a portrait of Dame Edna (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame_Edna_Everage) into the note. Looks much better that way!

The actual notes look a bit better than the mockups, the microorganisms are not as bright.

Hi AZ, where and how did you get your hands on one?

Hi AZ, where and how did you get your hands on one?

I did not, the images are from the web. It looks to be a regular circulation note, judging by the serial number.

I was going to say, damn your good!

The actual notes look a bit better than the mockups, the microorganisms are not as bright.

I am not sure how many people noticed the tactile feature on the Australian bank note. It is interesting that the Australian Central Bank decided to incorporate the tactile feature (because its bank notes are already designed with a feature that is recommended by the community that uses such features)

This is something that will make the BoC really proud as it is their idea that is being now implemented in the currency of another industrialized country. (There are different ways to provide tactile feature but this one I am most certain is BoC's idea).

However unlike the BoC the Australian central bank decided to put only one indentation as opposed to a set of six (on Canadian bank notes). This was described in initial discussion papers from the Australian central bank. What was not clear in the paper and is now seen in the publicly announced design is that the single indentation appears on two locations on the note. Looking at the face it is on the top left of the window and bottom right of the window.

It would be interesting to see if BoC builds on the improvements made by the Australian central bank.