2016 Serial Numbers

[Hercules]

I don't know whether anyone's noticed this, but the 2016 serial numbers are now available on the RBA website.

Here they are:

$5: AA16-EJ16; 0000001-4063626; Stevens/Fraser
$50: AA16-DA16; 999999-322672; Stevens/Fraser

Source: http://banknotes.rba.gov.au/resources/for-collectors/serial-numbers/

[Pedro]

Good work Hercules :good:

Pedro

[Hercules]

It's easy to see why they switched to 7-digit serial numbers. If they hadn't done so, the last prefix would have been YF16 (if the second letter went from A-K) or XF (if the second letter went from A-M). This would have been okay for $5 notes, but it would have been a disaster once they got up to the $50s, and would have required them to move into the test note range.

Last year saw a record 219 million $5 notes printed, almost double what they did in 1992 and 1995 individually, and roughly equal to what they did in both years combined. There are just over 4 million new $5 notes with each prefix, so I highly doubt the first and last prefixes will ever be worth more than face value.

[Fulvio]

I don't know whether anyone's noticed this, but the 2016 serial numbers are now available on the RBA website.

Thanks for that. I've updated the Banknote Prefixes PDF:

http://fulvio55.altervista.org/

So, a million more sheets than announced, give or take. Wanna bet the same thing happens with the $10's?

And still no real sign of the 2014 and 2015 $5. I only ever saw the one, and now thoroughly regret not grabbing it, even in the condition it was in.

[Hercules]

I only ever saw the one

Which one? 2014 or 2015?

[Fulvio]

Which one? 2014 or 2015?

2015

[Pedro]

Did the 2014 $5s ever see the light of day? I haven't seen any for sale on Ebay. Were they all destroyed?

Pedro

[Hercules]

I suspect they will be destroyed, and I'm disappointed that no one on this forum was able to persuade the RBA to hand some over to collectors. The 2015 one probably came from a collector's album, because I can't see any strong evidence that they were actually released into circulation. According to my noodling stats, half the 2013 batch will never see the light of day, so why should they suddenly jump to 2015?

[Fulvio]

The 2015 one probably came from a collector's album, because I can't see any strong evidence that they were actually released into circulation.

There's nothing significant about the number, and the condition was worse than I would have expected if it came out of an album. Did they even release albums?

[Hercules]

Yes. You could buy both a 2015 $5 note and a 2016 $5 note in an album/folder for $20 from Australia Post, Downies, and several other places.
PS: All the 2015 $5 notes released in these albums had very high serial numbers, which is what yours is.

[Fulvio]

Crap. Now I **REALLY** regret not grabbing it when I had the chance.

[jimmy1979]

Damn, I've come across around 10 of the 2015 in circulation. Didn't grab any of them. didn't realise they were so rare. It's disappointing the RBA doesn't do their July sale anymore like they used to pre 2014. I used to be able to grab these in UNC condition and pack them away.

[Mister T]

Any one seen a 2016 $50 note in circulation yet?

[jimmy1979]

Mister T, I went down to the RBA around a week ago asking about these. They said they might not be circulated and might be destroyed instead.

[Mister T]

That's be a shame - I've seen plenty of 2014 ones I think so it could well turn out that way.
Probably best to hold on to any that you find.