The new Australian 100$ banknote has something for everyone – devotees of the arts are treated to images of the famous Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba, together with a monogram from her 1902 tour programme, while those of us interested in engineering and architecture can gaze at images of Australian war hero and engineer, Sir John Monash and his work.
Wildlife and nature lovers are not forgotten either. Gracing the new note are images of Australia’s floral emblem, the golden wattle, and there’s also an attractive image of the Australian masked owl – a nice dimension here is that one of the holographic security details shows the bird’s wings in motion.
All things considered the new note, due to come into circulation in the second half of 2020, is a vibrant and impressive mix of design and security.
Security features
A lovely interactive visual showcases the new note and provides a wealth of interesting facts regarding both the note’s design and security features. You can see it on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s website.
Security features, similar to those in the $5, $10, $20 and $50 banknotes issued progressively since 2016 include:
- The top-to-bottom clear window containing a number of dynamic features including a reversing number and 3-D coloured fan, an image of an owl with wattle branch, which fluoresces under UV light.
- A patch with a rolling colour effect and microprint features excerpts of a letter written by Monash, and Melba's autobiography Melodies and Memories.
- A ‘tactile’ feature to help the vision-impaired community distinguish between different denominations of banknotes.
Cashmaster cash counting devices will be able to count the new note.