Here is an opportunity to get a mint condition first prefix banknote from the all new Next Generation series.
Released in 2016 these notes are replacing the old design which is finished with the EA15 notes in 2015.
These notes, especially the first and last prefix of this first release will be sure to do extremely well from an investment standpoint over the coming years.
There is a good chance that the notes may well be withdrawn if problems with vending machines and automatic note readers cannot be addressed properly.
The design with the clear window through the middle is another world first for Australian banknotes and the design, although disliked by some, it does have beautiful features.
The hologram of the Eastern Spinebill bird which flutters its wings is one such and the a three-dimensional Federation Star another.
The all-new tactile feature to assist sight-impaired people with identification, of the note denomination. This feature consists of a small raised bump on the upper side of the note surface.
A great opportunity to get a superb example of this first prefix note.
History
To determine which security features would be appropriate for the next generation of Australian banknotes, over 200 features were assessed based on the criteria of resilience to counterfeiting, functionality, durability, production-readiness and cost of production. Further, to take full advantage of the opportunities that polymer substrate offers, the new banknotes will incorporate state-of-the-art security printing technologies as well as multiple windows with designs that are significantly more complex than those on the current series. The new banknotes will also feature up-to-date intaglio and offset printing techniques, which will achieve greater fidelity in the print quality. As part of the design process, the Bank is consulting with designers, artists and historians to ensure that the new banknotes reflect Australia’s cultural identity while remaining functional and recognisable. Accordingly, a decision was made to retain many of the salient characteristics of the current series including the people portrayed on the banknotes, size, general colour palette and denominational structure. An important driver in this decision was the Bank’s continued commitment to assist the vision-impaired community, who rely on the size differentials, the distinct colours of our banknotes and the bold numerals to distinguish between different denominations. The Bank was also conscious of the multitude of machines that accept banknotes and the benefits to manufacturers and users of these machines of retaining the size and denominational structure. In the process of finalising the design, the Bank is conducting rigorous production trials with its banknote printer, Note Printing Australia. The purpose of these trials is to identify and resolve any production complications and ensure that the new banknotes are ready for full-scale manufacture. The banknotes produced in these trials will provide the Bank with material to assess the aesthetics, machine readability and the durability of the banknotes and will allow the Bank to engage in a very tangible way with the public and banknote equipment manufacturers.
Taken from:
The Next Generation Banknote Project on Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin | March Quarter 2014
