2016 Australia Five Dollars Next Generation Last Prefix EJ16 x 2

History

The second counterfeiting incident occurred more recently in Mexico, where the 50 peso banknote, which is produced on the same polymer substrate as Australian banknotes, was counterfeited in large numbers until the Mexican federal police made arrests in November 2012 (Bank of Mexico 2013). By the time the Bank of Mexico had upgraded the 50 peso polymer banknote with improved security and released the banknote into circulation in May 2013, 220 000 counterfeits of the original polymer 50 peso banknote had been seized. In addition to the direct costs that were incurred by victims, this incident highlighted the substantial indirect cost to the taxpayer resulting from the need by the Bank of Mexico to design, produce and issue an upgraded 50 peso banknote in a short space of time. These examples of large-scale, high-quality counterfeiting incidents are a cause for concern for the Bank. They show that sole reliance on the polymer substrate and the security features presently in use is no longer enough to ensure long-term confidence in Australia’s banknotes. It is a testament, however, to the success of the original series of polymer banknotes that the Bank has been able to delay introducing a new banknote series for over 20 years. This is in comparison with other countries that, on average, have to replace their series every 7 to 10 years. 

Taken from:  The Next Generation Banknote Project on Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin | March Quarter 2014