Twenty

The first polymer bank notes in the world were developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia in co-operation with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and the University of Melbourne. They were a response to the dual problems of counterfeiting and durability.

The first $10 notes were released in 1988 (the bicentenary year of European settlement in Australia). By 1992, all denominations had been released in polymer form and quickly replaced the paper currency which had preceeded them. Here is a "brick" - a $20 bank note in current circulation.

Featured on this side of the design is the likeness of John Flynn who was responsible for founding the "Flying Doctor Service" in the vast Australian outback. The full story of Flynn's work and the innovations which accompanied it, make excellent reading and many references come easily to hand on the web.

I am always fascinated by the intricacies embodied in the design of bank note graphics. We can see them quite clearly here.