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World Polymer Banknotes

   

As a guide, polymer bankotes can be defined from 2 types being used (1) Guardian and (2) Tyvek.

Guardian is the brand owned by Innovia Films, a leader in Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) and cellulose films with production sites in the UK, USA, Belgium and Australia.

Innovia
Films was previously under a Belgian group, UCB-Group who is a leader in pharmaceutical, chemicals and films. BOPP was originally developed by ICI who later sold to UCB Group.

In 1996 the Reserve Bank Australia (RBA) together with UCB formed a joint venture Securency Pte Ltd to manufacture this polymer substrate. Note Printing Australia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBA, is the company printing the polymer banknote.

The other technlogy is Tyvek, a type of polymer made by Du Pont (second largest chemical manufacturer in the world). America Bank Note Company (ABNC)'s then subsidiary Brad Wilkinson made the polymer banknotes.

The famous Tyvek banknotes are Haiti and Costa Rica. Other countries included El Salvador and Ecuador but it is said that Tyvek faced severe equatorial weather conditions and the banknote 'smudged'. Zambia also issued polymer banknotes made by Canada Banknote Company but these banknotes faced problems.

See ABNC's Tyvek Banknotes Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela

Today, Australia is the leading country to issue banknotes printed on polymer substrates. She is also the world's leading authority and prints for more than 20 other countries in the world. Some countries like China, Brazil and Taiwan are issuing polymer banknotes under licence from NPA. Countries which have implmented a full polymer banknotes system include Australia, New Zealand and Romania. Vietnam is the next country to planning to fully convert to polymer.

POLYMER BANKNOTES PRINTED BY NOTE PRINTING AUSTRALIA

No Country Year Of Issue Denomination Type Comment
1. Australia 1988 C$10 Dollar Special Issue Circulating First polymer note produced, marking Australia’s Bicentenary. Features

DOVD.
1992 $5 Dollar Circulating First of the New Note Series (NNS).
1993 $10 Dollar Circulating NNS
1994 $20 Dollar Circulating NNS
1995 $50 Dollar Circulating NNS
1996 $100 Dollar Circulating First country with a full series of circulating polymer notes.
2001 $5 Dollar Special Issue Circulating Federation Note marking the Centenary of birth of our Nation. Circulating

alongside the existing $5 polymer note.
2 Singapore 1990 $50 Dollar Commemorative Commemorates 25 years of Independence. Features DOVD.
2004 $10 Dollar Commemorative/ Circulating Issued in May 2004. Marks the introduction of the first polymer presidential note

and contains the DOE feature.
3 Western Samoa 1991 2 Tala Circulating Marks the Golden Jubilee of His Highness the Head of State of Western Samoa,

Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II.
1997 2 Tala Circulating Reprint with alterations.
4 Papua New Guinea 1991 2 Kina Circulating Marks the 1991 South Pacific Games with logo overprint.
1995 2 Kina Special Issue Circulating Marks the 20th Anniversary of Independence of PNG with logo

overprint.
1996 2 Kina Special Issue Circulating Replaced paper note.
1999 50 Kina Circulating Replaced paper note.
2000 10 Kina Circulating
2000 2, 10, 50 Kina Circulating Marks 25th Anniversary of Independence.
2003 20 Kina Commemorative Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
2005 100 Kina Circulating Issued in November 2005
5 Kuwait 1993 1 Dinar Commemorative Marks the second Anniversary of the Liberation of the State of Kuwait.
Not

legal tender and features the DOVD.
2001 1 Dinar Commemorative Marks the 10th Anniversary of the Liberation of the State of

Kuwait
Features DOVD.
6 Indonesia 1994 50,000 Rupiah Special Issue Circulating Marks 25 years of Indonesian development and features DOVD.
1999 100,000 Rupiah Circulating Marks the proclamation of Independence in 1999. Features the self authenticating

metameric feature.
7 Brunei 1996 $1, $5 & $10 Circulating First export customer to issue 3 denominations.
2004 $50, $100 Circulating Issued in July 2004.
8 Thailand 1996 500 Baht Commemorative Marks the Golden Jubilee of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama 9,
Features first

golden DOVD.
1996 50 Baht Special Issue Circulating Marks the Golden Jubilee of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama 9
Introduced as a

more affordable, low denomination note.
1997 50 Baht Circulating New design. Polymer note technology transfer commences.
9 Sri Lanka 1998 200 Rupee Special Issue Circulating Marks the 50th Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka.
10 Malaysia 1998 50 Ringgit Commemorative Marks the Kuala Lumpur 98 XVI Commonwealth Games. Features golden DOVD and two

windows.
2004 RM5 Circulating Issued in October 2004.
11 New Zealand 1999 $5, $10,$20 & $100 Circulating Replaced paper notes.
2000 $10 Millennium
$50		 Commemorative Celebration of the Millennium.
Circulating Replaced paper notes.
12 Romania 1999 2000 Lei Commemorative Marks the Total Solar Eclipse on 11 August 1999. World's first self authenticating

polymer note featuring a metameric window and metameric filter.
2000 10,000 Lei Circulating Replaced paper note.
2000 500,000 Lei Circulating New denomination.
13 Bangladesh 2000 10 Taka Circulating First polymer note.
14 Solomon Islands 2001 2 Dollar Special Issue Circulating Marks the Silver Jubilee of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.
15 Mexico 2002 20 Pesos Circulating Issued in September 2002.
16 Nepal 2002 10 Rupee Circulating Issued in September 2002.
17 Vietnam 2003 50.000 Dong Circulating Issued in December 2003.
18 Chile 2004 $2000 Pesos Circulating Issued in September 2004.

Source/Useful Links:
Note Printing Australia
Securency Pty Ltd
Reserve Bank of Australia
Wikipedia - Polymer Banknotes