Springbok Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 I've just bought a few Aussie dollars from a colleague who returned from Australia. Must say the notes feel quite strange, like a mix of plastic and paper. And I'm just curious - what's the deal with the see-through part in the one corner? Anything specific or just a decorative feature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 (edited) It's a security feature. Aussie notes are supposed to be the most difficult to forge. Australia also makes banknotes for New Zealand.What I really like about them is that if I have left money in my trousers when I throw them into the washing machine, the washing doesn't destroy the notes. Edited March 2, 2007 by Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 What I really like about them is that if I have left money in my trousers when I throw them into the washing machine, the washing doesn't destroy the notes. Lol yeah and when i leave my purse lying around, kiddo can play and not tear the notes!!!! Even his crayon drawings just wash off.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 This type of note is called a "Polymer" banknote, and, as far as I can remember they were first issued as AUD5 and AUD10 notes for the bicentennial. I still have two notes that I brought back with me after a trip in 1993 - I was so enamoured of them! Read about the history of money in Australia here, I include an extract about the banknotes:...a much longer lasting polymer banknote to replace the paper $10 note was introduced. The polymer notes have the advantage of not only lasting longer, they stay cleaner and old or damaged notes can be recycled into other products. Security devices such as transparent windows, serial numbers that change colour under ultra-violet light, along with other features were also incorporated to help prevent counterfeitsI've heard about money laundering, but money recycling?Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkiH Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 Hope that I am not too far off the topic here, but I just wanted to know about Australian coins.I have heard that the coins are really thick and big and they don't fit into wallets easily (if you have a few your wallet will struggle to close).Is it true and if so, I was wondering why they make them so big? Can't be very practical?Anyway just wondering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 That is correct about the coins. - They are big and bulky. And one really ridiculous thing is that the $1 coin is bigger than the $2 coin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvonne Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 The 50c piece is massive and almost looks like it could be used as a medal. I'm always trying to get rid of 50c and 20c coins to make my wallet lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Britain, South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand all had pounds, shillings and pence in their day.South Africa decimalised its currency in 1961.Australia in 1966New Zealand in 1967Rhodesia in 1970.Britain in 1971.Australia and New Zealand kept the new silver coins of 5c, 10c and 20c the same size as the old 6d, 1/- and 2/- coins.South Africa and Rhodesia both switched after a few years of decimalised currency to a smaller sizes coinage, so Australian and New Zealand coins are no longer familiar to South Africans and Zimbabweans as they were years ago.Your "oldies" would be quite used to Australian coins if you showed them one or two of them.As far as notes go, Australia had paper notes up until the Royal Australian Mint began printing polymer notes. They are an Australian idea, are world first, with other countries such as New Zealand and Mexico getting their notes from us also.They have a "window" making it have to forge, have no metal strip needed, and are holographic when held up to the light . . . . all the things that forgers hate.They're also damn hard to tear.What was that about "thank goodness money grows on trees!" . . . . . not any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkiH Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Thanks for the explanation Bob! I think my husbands Dad will recognise the coins. He served in the British Army and lived in Rhodesia for many years (my hsuband was born there). He is now 73 I think (his dad not my husband ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPU Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 (edited) I've just bought a few Aussie dollars from a colleague who returned from Australia. Must say the notes feel quite strange, like a mix of plastic and paper. And I'm just curious - what's the deal with the see-through part in the one corner? Anything specific or just a decorative feature?Hi all, I have not been browsing or posting here for quite some time, too busy at work and no life Picture I took of my Aussie dollar when I was in Brisbane and Sydney last year on vacation. Note that the 2 dollar coin is much smaller than the 50 and 20 cent coin, and can get pretty heavy when you carry a lot of them It is that time of year that again to schedule my trip to Australia again Edited March 15, 2007 by CPU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 (edited) Every Australian banknote has a personality important to the making of Australian life.I just popped out for the evening to my local 4WD club in Mt. Barker and there was a guest speaker from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (R.F.D.S.)$20 Australian notes were handed around for all to look at.They are red in colour and are the deciamal currency equivalent of the old 10 Pound note, also red in colour.Needless to say, Aussies called the old red 10 quid note a "brick".On the front of the $20 note is a picture of the R.F.D.S. founder, the first plane called the "Victory" and some medical charts, as well as an early radio set.The "Flying Doctor" was begun in 1925 by a Calvinist minister, the Rev. John Flynn in Outback Queensland.Rev. Flynn had a dream of settling the interior of Australia, but its conditions were so harsh that medical attention was local and far flung and needed to be inproved for settlement to increase.He pioneered the use of flight to transport patients from Outback cattle stations and settlements to bigger townships and cities with hospital care.They cut a hole in the plane's canvas, stuck the patient inside and taped the hole up again.It might have been a breezy trip, but they got you back in true Aussie style!The first planes were hired from an newly formed airline called the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service . . . . Q.A.N.T.A.S. . . . . sound familiar?The hire charge was 2/- (20c) a flight mile.The use of aerial transport to carry sick and injured people in Australia is a world first and the R.F.D.S. is the most comprehensive and intensive medical service of its kind in the world, flying the equivalent of over 10 times around the world each week!The use of pedal wireless was an Australian invention to give Outback people the power needed to send morse code over the air and get in touch with the medical bases around Australia, if in emergency.Australia is so vast that the visiting guest speaker told us of a flight to London he recently made from Melbourne that took 23 hours.It took over 4 hours of flying in the 747 before he flew over the north west coast of Australia out into open sea . . . . roughly one fifth of the way to London from Melbourne!There is one helluva lot of Australia down there to explore and it's good to know that no-one in Australia, no matter how far from civilisation, is never more than two hours from medical care.That's Australia for you!!! Edited March 23, 2007 by Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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