The New Australian $5 Banknote

September 1, 2016, the Reserve Bank of Australia started the circulation of their new Australian $5 banknote. Technology really has its way of improving everything around it.

Australia is a country that has one of the most secure and safest currencies in the world. With that, Reserve Bank’s core function is to maintain the confidence of the public with their banknotes.  To ensure that the public will remain confident, they have researched banknote design developments and anti-counterfeit technologies. As a result of this research, the RBA have now come to upgrade their banknote and its security. The new Australian $5 banknote is the first of this upgraded note that they have released.

This note with its upgraded security system is showcasing security features that will definitely give you the confidence with using it.

• Top-to-bottom Window. In the banknote, the integration of the window is seamless. Within this top-to-bottom window, there are multiple features for the security contained that is being bordered by Prickly Moses wattle’s depictions.

• Rolling Colour Effect. When you tilt the note, there is a change in the ink and there you will see the rolling effect of the colors. This feature present on both sides within the bird shape on the one side and in the prominent patch on the other.

• 3D Federation Star. When you tilt the banknote, there would be a 3D federation star that you will see within colourful borders. On the small clear window, you can find this federation star. It is embossed and there is a dark and light effect on it. 

• Flying Eastern Spinebill. By tilting the note in a diagonal position, the bird and its different poses found in the large window which is the top-to-bottom one is highlighted progressively which gives it the appearance as if the bird is flying. By tilting the note, you will see that the colours within the Spinebill changes.

• This microprint is a text that is clearly defined despite being tiny and it is located in multiple locations on the note. In the branch in its top-to-bottom window, there is one with an excerpt from the Constitution of Australia and another on the Parliament House’ wall and on its front. In the coloured background, the ‘FIVE DOLLARS’ has also been micro printed.

• Intaglio Print. The distinctive texture that the note has comes from the intaglio. When you run your fingers on the numerals and the portraits, you can feel this print that is slightly raised.

• Reversing 5. Inside the building, there is a number 5. When you tilt the banknote, this number appears forward then disappears and then will appear again backward. This reversing 5 appears alternately.

• Fluorescent Ink. In your banknote, there is an Eastern Spinebill, the year of print and a serial number that when you brought under a UV light will automatically fluoresce.

With Australia’s reputation with regards to the security of currency, they have proven that they really are on top of its game with this new security features highlighted in their new bank note series in addition to being the first to produce and circulate banknotes that can be read by people with a vision impairment.