Australian one hundred-dollar note

The Australian one hundred-dollar note was first issued in 1984 as a paper note.[2] There have been two different issues of this denomination: initially a very light turquoise-blue paper note, and from May 1996, a green polymer note.[3] Since the start of issue there have been six signature combinations. Two other combinations were not issued.

One hundred dollars

(Australia)
Value	100 Australian dollars
Width	158 mm
Height	65 mm
Security features	Clear window with embossing, micro printing, slightly raised printing, hold the note towards light and the Australian coat of arms plus a seven pointed star will appear, ultraviolet, Unic serial number and different fonts, watermark
Material used	Polymer
Years of printing	1996, 1998–99, 2008, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2017[1]
Obverse
Design	Dame Nellie Melba
Designer	Bruce Stewart
Design date	2020
Reverse
Design	Sir John Monash
Designer	Bruce Stewart
Design date	2020

Sir Douglas Mawson

John Tebbutt

In December 2016 it was reported that Australia may abolish its $100 note to close down loopholes used by the black economy.[4] However, the Reserve Bank of Australia officially stated that there are no plans to abolish the $100 note.[5]

Design

The paper issue has a portrait of Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, with a background of a mountain range with a geological strata format. A large diamond shape appears to the left of the main picture. Astronomer John Tebbutt is on the reverse, with a background of the observatory he built and a local church.[6]

The polymer issue was designed by Bruce Stewart, and features portraits of soprano Dame Nellie Melba and engineer and First World War general Sir John Monash.[3]

A new design of the banknote, part of the Reserve Bank's Next Generation Banknote Program, is scheduled to be released into circulation in the second half of 2020.[7]

Security features

The paper design includes a watermark of Captain James Cook in the white field, and a metallic strip embedded in the paper to the left (on the obverse side) of the note. The same watermark was used in the last issue of the pre-decimal banknotes.

The polymer issue includes a shadow image of the Australian Coat of Arms, which is printed over. In the clear window, there is embossing—or a raised image—of the number 100 and a print of a lyrebird. Also for this issue, fluorescent colouring was added to the serial numbers, as well as a patch that shows the banknote's value under ultraviolet light. The star's four points on the obverse and three on the reverse join to form the seven-pointed Federation Star when the note is held up to the light. Raised print and micro-printing of the denomination value are also included.[8][9]

Circulation

According to Reserve Bank of Australia statistics, the number of $100 banknotes in circulation in June 2005 was 149 million—18.5% of all notes in circulation. The cash value for these notes was $14,924 million—41.9% of the total value for all denominations. Only the $50 note had more cash value in circulation. In June 2008 there were 176.9 million notes in circulation (19%), with a value of $17,690 million (42.1%). Again, the value of cash in circulation is more for the $50 note.[10] The larger value in $50 notes can be explained by the fact that almost all automated teller machines dispense $20 and $50 notes, but not $100 notes.

In June 2017, 337 million $100 notes were in circulation,[4] 22% of the total notes in circulation; worth $33,689 million, 46% of the total value for all denominations.[11]

References

1. "SERIAL NUMBER INFORMATION". banknotes.rba.gov.au. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Retrieved 9 February 2015.
2. "OTHER BANKNOTES-PAPER SERIES-$100". banknotes.rba.gov.au. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
3. "A Complete Series of Polymer Banknotes: 1992–1996". Reserve Bank of Australia Museum. Reserve Bank of Australia. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
4. Frank Chung. "Australia could scrap the $100 note". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
5. https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/punjabi/en/article/2017/01/06/no-plans-withdraw-100-note-circulation
6. "Inflation and the Note Issue". Reserve Bank of Australia Museum. Reserve Bank of Australia. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
7. "Next Generation of Banknotes: $100 Design Reveal" (Press release). Sydney, Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
8. "List of Security Features". Counterfeit Detection. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
9. http://banknotes.rba.gov.au/banknote-features
10. Notes on Issue, www.rba.gov.au, Data updated to end June 2008, Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved on 4 August 2015.
11. "DISTRIBUTION-CIRCULATION AND PRODUCTION STATISTICS, AS AT END JUNE 2017". banknotes.rba.gov.au. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 20 December 2017.

Further reading

• Ian W. Pitt, ed. (2000). Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values (19th ed.). Chippendale, NSW: Renniks Publications. pp. 171–172. ISBN 0-9585574-4-6.