Serial Numbering
Australian banknotes are printed in sheets. Different sized sheets are used for each denomination and the number of banknotes printed on a sheet varies. There are 45 banknotes on a sheet of $10 banknotes, 40 banknotes on a sheet of $5, $20 and $50 banknotes and 32 banknotes on a sheet of $100 banknotes.
Since 1993, Australian banknotes have been numbered using a Year Dated System. Under this system, the serial number has a prefix with two letters and two numbers followed by a six-digit suffix (e.g. AE 05 702698). Each banknote on a given sheet has a different letter prefix but the two numbers of the prefix, which indicate the year the banknote was produced, are the same. All banknotes on a sheet will have the same six-digit suffix, which decreases by one from one sheet to the next. If more banknotes are required when all possible suffixes have been used, serial numbering will continue with a new set of prefixes.
For numismatic purposes, the first and last prefixes are those at the beginning and end of the entire prefix range used for each denomination in any given year.
For serial number details of the current banknote series view our Serial Number Information page.
The 1992 Consecutive Numerical Prefix System
When polymer $5 banknotes were first printed in 1992, a Consecutive Numerical Prefix System was used for serial numbering. As is the case under the current system, the serial number had a prefix with two letters and two numbers followed by a six-digit suffix. However, each banknote on a given sheet had the same letter prefix but different numbers. As there are 40 $5 banknotes on a sheet, these ranged from AA 00 to AA 39. Like the Year Dated System, all banknotes on a sheet had the same six-digit suffix, which fell by one from one sheet to the next. If more banknotes were required when all possible suffixes had been used, serial numbering continued with a new set of prefixes (e.g. AA 40 to AA 79).
Since the RBA began using the Year Dated System, we have been unable to issue $5 banknotes with prefixes AA and AB, as these were used in 1992. Instead, serial numbering has started from the prefix BA since 1992.
