Australian Next Generation $5 note
Following on from the New Note Series $5 note that was released in 1992, the Reserve Bank of Australia released the Next Generation $5 note on September 1st, 2016 (Reserve Bank of Australia, https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/next-generation-banknotes-program/) and new notes were available from commercial banks on the day of launch. The project had first been announced in 2014 and the $5 was the first note to be updated (Reserve Bank of Australia, https://banknotes.rba.gov.au/australias-banknotes/next-generation-banknotes-program/).
As with the previous New Note Series $5 notes, the Next Generation $5 notes depict Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and Parliament House, Canberra on the reverse. The serial number prefixes were changed to match all other polymer banknotes, with the first prefix letter starting from A, the second prefix letter running from A to M and the digits being the last two digits of the year the note was printed. Sheets run from AA to EJ. The signatures are of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Secretary to the Treasury.
| First and Last Prefixes | Serial numbers | Number printed | Signatories |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA 16 - EJ 16 | 0000001 - 4063626 | 251,944,750 | Stephens/Fraser |
| AA 18 - EJ 18 | 0000001 - 0622404 | 38,588,986 | Lowe/Fraser |
| AA 19 - EJ 19 | 0000001 - 0218163 | 13,526,106 | Lowe/Kennedy |
| AA 20 - EJ 20 | 0000001 - 0242062 | 17,07,782 | Lowe/Kennedy |
| AA 21 - EJ 21 | 0000001 - 0786855 | 48,784,948 | Lowe/Kennedy |
The Next Generation $5 note ably demonstrates that notes are not released in the order in which they are printed, with the 2019-dated notes being available long before the 2018-dated notes.
Prefixes and serial numbers are provided by the Reserve Bank of Australia.