What A Grand Looking Note...

1966  Coombs/Wilson  Uncirculated

Prefixes XAB - XBN  L: $62  H: $150  [$150] [$150]

First Prefix XAA  L: $353  H: $666  [$675] [$675]

Last Prefix XBP  L: $331  H: $569  [$700] [$700]

1967  Coombs/Randall  Uncirculated

First Prefix XBQ  L: $3640  H: $3700  [$8750] [$5250]

Prefix XBR  L: $3680  H: $9100  [$5750] [$8000]

Last Prefix XBS  L: $5000  H: $11100  [$9500] [$9000]

1968  Phillips/Randall  Uncirculated

Prefixes XBT - XET  L: $245  H: $413  [$400] [$400]

First Prefix XBS  L: $450  H: $788  [$800] [$800]

Last Prefix XEU  L: $321  H: $725  [$725] [$725]

STAR Prefix ZXA  L: $14400  H: $25500  [$31500] [$31500]

1972  Phillips/Wheeler  Uncirculated  'Commonwealth of Australia' 

Prefixes XEW - XGX  L: $270  H: $325  [$450] [$400]

First Prefix XEV  L: $456  H: $825  [$800] [$800]

Last Prefix XGY  L: $506  H: $774  [$875] [$900]

1974   Phillips/Wheeler Uncirculated  'Australia' 

Prefixes XGS - XLG  L: $658  H: $1400  [$500] [$475]

First Prefix XGY  L: $1050  H: $2300  [$2300] [$2300]

Last Prefix XLH  L: $438  H: $763  [$800] [$850]

1976  Knight/Wheeler  Uncirculated

Prefixes XLK - XST  Centre Thread  L: $199  H: $398  [$400] [$400]

First Prefix XLJ  Centre Thread  L: $413  H: $675  [$675] [$675]

Last Prefix XSU  Centre Thread  L: $444  H: $750  [$775] [$775]

Prefixes XQS - XUY  Side Thread  L: $275  H: $560  [$480] [$480]

First Prefix XQR  Side Thread  L: $3500  H: $6000  [$6000] [$6000]

Last Prefix XUZ  Side Thread  L: $494  H: $850  [$900] [$900]

1979  Knight/Stone  Uncirculated

Prefixes XVB - VDQ  Gothic  L: $116  H: $220  [$220] [$220]

First Prefix XVA  Gothic  L: $294  H: $525  [$575] [$650]

Last Prefix VDQ  Gothic  L: $438  H: $750  [$725] [$725]

Prefixes VDS - VGW - OCR-B  L: $190  H: $320  [$325] [$325]

First Prefix VDR - OCR-B  L: $1000  H: $1730  [$1750] [$1750]

Last Prefix VGX - OCR-B  L: $431  H: $750  [$850] [$850]

1983  Johnston/Stone  Uncirculated

Prefixes VFW - VQJ  L: $116  H: $170  [$240] [$240]

First Prefix VFV  L: $450  H: $800  [$875] [$900]

Last Prefix VQK  L: $419  H: $725  [$725] [$725]

1985  Johnston/Fraser  Uncirculated

Prefixes VQM - EYC - OCR-B  L: $59  H: $156  [$130] [$120]

First Prefix VQL - OCR-B  L: $200  H: $363  [$400] [$500]

Last Prefix EYD - OCR-B  L: $363  H: $600  [$650] [$750]

Prefixes EJZ - ENA  Gothic  L: $455  H: $550  [$650] [$625]

First Prefix  EJY  Gothic  L: $681  H: $1350  [$1200] [$1150]

Last Prefix ENB  Gothic  L: $1030  H: $1850  [$1850] [$1950]

1989 Phillips/Fraser  Uncirculated

Prefixes EVK - EYC  L: $75  H: $220  [$180] [$180]

First Prefix EVJ  L: $288  H: $525  [$500] [$550]

Last Prefix EYD  L: $363  H: $513  [$475] [$500]

1989  Fraser/Higgins  Uncirculated

Prefixes EYF - RKA  L: $68  H: $186  [$150] [$150]

First Prefix EYE  L: $255  H: $463  [$500] [$550]

Last Prefix RKB  L: $288  H: $538  [$550] [$650]

1991  Fraser/Cole  Uncirculated

Prefixes RHH - ABP  L: $58  H: $119  [$120] [$110]

First Prefix RHG  L: $263  H: $463  [$475] [$475]

Last Prefix ABQ  L: $513  H: $913  [$900] [$1100]

Prefix AAA [Issued by NPA]   L: $97  H: $158  [$190] [$190]

1993  Fraser/Evans  Uncirculated

Prefixes RZW - ADJ  L: $55  H: $136  [$110] [$110]

First Prefix RZV  L: $213  H: $375  [$375] [$425]

Last Prefix ADK  L: $63  H: $210  [$135] [$135]

Prefix  AAA [Issued by NPA]  L: $101  H: $164  [$200] [$200]

• Red note issued from 1966 to 1993.
   
• Features Lawrence Hargrave (aviation pioneer) and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith with aircraft motifs.
   
• Collectability: One of the most widely used denominations, hence uncirculated examples are valuable. First/last prefix examples highly collectible.

Phillips-Wheeler banknotes of 1972

Phillips-Wheeler banknotes of 1974

Starting in 1974, the Reserve Bank added a metallic security thread down the center of banknotes as a new security feature. Because the center position is also the place where people fold their banknotes, they used prematurely. This is why the Reserve Bank moved the position of the thread to the side. The location of the thread (a dark line) can easily be found by looking at the banknote with enough lights passing through it.

It refers to the font used for the serial number. Gothic font is narrow compared to the OCR-B one.

It refers to the font used for the serial number. OCR-B (Optical Character Recognition) font is narrow compared to the Gothic one. OCR-B function was to facilitate the optical character recognition operations by specific electronic devices. It was accepted as the world standard in 1973.

It refers to the star (pre-decimal) or asterix (decimal) that can be found at the end of the serial number to indicates replacement notes.

LAST UPDATED: 2nd September 2025