Catalog
5 Dollars
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Australia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974-1991 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | AUSTRALIA FIVE DOLLARS GOVERNOR RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA AND ITS TERRITORIES |
| Reverse description | Portrait of Caroline Chisholm at left, with a central vignette of a harbour scene interspersed with portrait vignettes in intaglio. The denomination numeral '5' appears in the upper corners and in the left margin, with 'AUSTRALIA' across the top. The note is printed in shades of violet and purple with fine guilloche underprint patterns. |
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| Comments |
Australia's first decimal paper $5 note ran for nearly two decades across a remarkable number of signature combinations — at least nine distinct pairings across the series. The proliferation reflects routine changes at the Governor and Secretary level rather than any monetary disruption, but for collectors it creates a genuinely complex set to complete. The OCR-style serial number font variants on certain Knight/Wheeler and Johnston/Fraser issues are catalogued separately from the standard straight font versions, a distinction easy to miss in mid-grades.
Note Printing Australia — the listed printer — wasn't operating under that name until 1998, well after this series ended. The notes were printed by the Reserve Bank Note Printing Branch, the predecessor operation at the same Craigieburn facility.