Australian fifty-dollar note

Last updated

Fifty Dollars
(Australia)
Value$50 Australian dollars
Security featuresWindow, Watermark
Material used Polymer
Years of printing1995–99, 2003–14, 2016, 2018, 2020–21 [1]
Obverse
2018 Australian fifty dollar note obverse.jpg
Design David Unaipon
Designeremerystudio
Design date15 February 2018
Reverse
2018 Australian fifty dollar note reverse.jpg
Design Edith Cowan
Designeremerystudio
Design date15 February 2018

The Australian fifty-dollar note is an Australian banknote with a face value of fifty Australian dollars (A$50). Since 1995 it has been a polymer banknote featuring portraits of Edith Cowan, first female member of an Australian parliament, and inventor and Australia's first published Aboriginal Australian author, David Unaipon.

Contents

1966–1973

There was no fifty-dollar note released as part of the initial rollout of decimal currency in 1966, but inflation necessitated its introduction seven years later in 1973. [2]

1973–1995

The original paper fifty-dollar note released on Tuesday 9 October 1973, designed by Gordon Andrews, has a scientific theme. [2] On the front of the note is a portrait of Australian pathologist Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey and scenes of laboratory research. On the back is a portrait of Sir Ian Clunies Ross, veterinary scientist and first chairman of the CSIRO, along with scenes from the Australian environment. [2]

The paper fifty-dollar note, circulated between 1973 and 1995.
The front of the note Australian $50 note paper front.jpg
The front of the note
The back of the note Australian $50 note paper back.jpg
The back of the note

1995–2018

The church of Raukkan, South Australia is featured on the 1995 note Raukkan Church.jpg
The church of Raukkan, South Australia is featured on the 1995 note

On 4 October 1995 (Wednesday) a polymer banknote was released. [3] The new note was designed by Brian Sadgrove. [3]

A portrait of Ngarrindjeri man David Unaipon, inventor and author of the first work published in Australia by an Aboriginal Australian, [4] appears on the front, along with drawings from one of his inventions, and an extract from the original manuscript of his Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines. [5] There is also a depiction of the Raukkan Church, a historical landmark in Raukkan, where Unaipon grew up on a mission then known as Point McLeay. [6] The couple standing in front of the church are Polly and Milerum. Milerum was the last initiated member of the local Ngarrindjeri people. He was highly respected and played a huge role in the recording of history of the Ngarrindjeri people of the Coorong. [7]

On the back is a portrait of Edith Cowan, first female member of any Australian parliament, along with a picture of Western Australia's original Parliament House, and an illustration of a foster mother and children. [3] [8]

In June 2017 there were 686 million $50 banknotes in circulation. Worth $34,309 million, this was 47% of the total value for all denominations. [9]

The original polymer fifty-dollar note.
The front of the note Australian $50 polymer front.jpg
The front of the note
The back of the note Australian $50 note polymer back.jpg
The back of the note

Design features

The handwritten statement on the obverse of the note reads "As a full-blooded member of my race I think I may claim to be the first—but I hope, not the last—to produce an enduring record of our customs, beliefs and imaginings". The word "Imaginings" is spelled incorrectly and was since corrected. (An alternative suggestion is that 'imaging' was originally used but later changed to 'imaginings' by David Unaipon as most would not understand his epistemological underpinnings of mimicry and assimilation) [10]

Security features

With reference to the current polymer items, there is a clear window on the banknote with the Southern Cross star formation printed upon it, and the number "50" is also embossed in the clear window. There is also raised printing on the note. [3]

A patch with the number "50" on the back of the banknote can be seen when held up to an ultraviolet (UV) light. There are two serial numbers on the banknote, one in black and blue, different fonts are used on each one, and the serial numbers glow under UV light. [3]

There is also micro printing, in terms of "fifty dollars", and a shadow image of the Australian coat of arms when light is shown through it. [11]

2018–present

On 27 September 2012, the Reserve Bank of Australia announced that Australia's banknotes would be upgraded in the coming years. [12]

On 15 February 2018, the Reserve Bank of Australia unveiled the design of the new $50 banknote, after earlier releasing updated versions of the $5 and $10 polymer banknotes in September 2016 and September 2017 respectively. The note features updated security features, [13] and was released into circulation on 18 October 2018 (Thursday). [13] The artwork on the note, incorporating the work of Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri artist Muriel van der Byl AM , retains the portraits of Cowan and Unaipon. [4]

A typographical error, the last "i" in "responsibility" being missing and spelled instead as "responsibilty", was discovered on earlier print runs of the banknote in May 2019, affecting 46 million banknotes. The Reserve Bank confirmed it had been aware of the error since December 2018, and corrected the spelling in later print runs. [14]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Unaipon</span> Australian preacher, inventor & author

David Ngunaitponi, known as David Unaipon, was an Aboriginal Australian preacher, inventor, and author. A Ngarrindjeri man, his contribution to Australian society helped to break many stereotypes of Aboriginal people, and he is featured on the Australian $50 note in commemoration of his work. He was the son of preacher and writer James Unaipon.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polymer banknote</span> Banknotes made from synthetic polymer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian one-dollar coin</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian two-dollar coin</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian two-dollar coin is the highest-denomination coin of the Australian dollar. It was first issued on 20 June 1988, having been in planning since the mid-1970s. It replaced the Australian two-dollar note due to having a longer circulatory life. The only "mint set only" year was 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian twenty-dollar note</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian twenty-dollar note was issued when the currency was changed from the Australian pound to the Australian dollar on 14 February 1966. It replaced the £10 note which had similar orange colouration. There have been only three different issues of this denomination: a paper note which had a gradient of yellow and red, with a distinct orange background, and two designs of polymer note which can be recognised for their distinct red-orange colouration. The first polymer note was issued on 31 October 1994 and the Next Generation polymer banknote was issued on 9 October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian ten-dollar note</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian ten-dollar note was one of the four original decimal banknotes excluding the Australian five-dollar note, was issued when the currency was changed from the Australian pound to the Australian dollar on 14 February 1966. It replaced the Australian five-pound note, which included the same blue colouration. There have been four different issues of this denomination: a paper banknote; a commemorative hi-polymer note, to celebrate the bicentennial of Australian settlement ; the 1993–2017 polymer note; and from September 2017 a polymer note featuring a transparent window.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian one-hundred-dollar note</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian one-hundred-dollar note was first issued in 1984 as a paper note. 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. Since the start of issue there have been six signature combinations. Two other combinations were not issued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian one-cent coin</span> Former denomination of Australian currency

The cent, formally the one-cent coin, was the lowest-denomination coin of the Australian dollar. It was introduced on 14 February 1966 in the decimalisation of Australian currency and was withdrawn from circulation in 1992. It is still minted as a non-circulating coin. A one-cent coin in 1966 would have a purchasing power equal to about 15c in 2022 values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian two-cent coin</span> Former denomination of Australian currency

The Australian two-cent coin was introduced in 1966 and was the coin of the second-lowest denomination until it was withdrawn from circulation in 1992. It is still counted as legal tender, but is subject to some restrictions, and two-cent coins are legal tender only up to the sum of 20 cents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian five-dollar note</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian five-dollar note was first issued on 29 May 1967 (Monday), fifteen months after the currency was changed from the pound to the dollar on 14 February 1966. It was a new denomination with mauve colouration – the pre-decimal system had no denomination with a value of £212. The first polymer version of the note was introduced in 1992. A major design update was issued from 1 September 2016, with a minor update to the signatures in 2019.

The notes of the Australian dollar were first issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 14 February 1966, when Australia changed to decimal currency and replaced the pound with the dollar. This currency was a lot easier for calculating compared to the previous Australian pound worth 20 shillings or 240 pence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand twenty-dollar note</span> Current denomination of New Zealand currency

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand five-dollar note</span> Current denomination of New Zealand currency

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand fifty-dollar note</span> Current denomination of New Zealand currency

The New Zealand fifty-dollar note is a New Zealand banknote. It is issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and since 1999 has been a polymer banknote. It was first issued in 1983. The note originally had an image of Queen Elizabeth II on the front; since 1992 it has had an image of Sir Āpirana Ngata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand one hundred-dollar note</span> Current denomination of New Zealand currency

The New Zealand one-hundred-dollar note is a New Zealand banknote. It is issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and since 1999 has been a polymer banknote. It was first issued on 10 July 1967 when New Zealand decimalised its currency, changing from the New Zealand pound to the New Zealand dollar. The note originally had an image of Queen Elizabeth II on the front; since 1992 it has had an image of Ernest Rutherford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raukkan, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Raukkan is an Australian Aboriginal community situated on the south-eastern shore of Lake Alexandrina in the locality of Narrung, 80 kilometres (50 mi) southeast of the centre of South Australia's capital, Adelaide. Raukkan is "regarded as the home and heartland of Ngarrindjeri country."

Prior to European colonization, early Aboriginal Australian communities traded using items such as tools, food, ochres, shells, raw materials and stories, although there is no evidence of the use of currencies.

References

  1. "SERIAL NUMBER INFORMATION". banknotes.rba.gov.au. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "THE $50 BANKNOTE (interactive)". Banknote Features. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Muriel Van Der Byl – in celebration". Migration Museum. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. Unaipon, David (2006). Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigine (Repub. ed.). Miegunyah Press. ISBN   9780522849059 . Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. "Raukkan Church Restoration". The Australian Institute of Architects. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  7. See the episode of the Australian-produced series of Who do you think you are? on Michael O'Loughlin.)
  8. "$50 Banknote". Banknotes in Circulation. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  9. "Distribution-Circulation and Production Statistics, as at End June 2017". banknotes.rba.gov.au. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  10. Miller, B. (2005). Confusing Epistemologies: Whiteness, Mimicry and Assimilation in David Unaipon's 'Confusion of Tongue'. Altitude: An e-journal of emerging humanities work, 6, 1-13. https://thealtitudejournal.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/34.pdf
  11. "List of Security Features". Counterfeit Detection. Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  12. "Media Releases". Reserve Bank of Australia. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Next Generation of Banknotes: Design Reveal". Reserve Bank of Australia. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  14. Hope, Zach; Eddie, Rachel (9 May 2019). "Oops: Typo for the ages printed on 46 million new $50 notes". The Age . Retrieved 9 May 2019.