An unsuspecting $5 note could be worth more than 300 times its original value, thanks to a tiny but rare detail.
A 1995 $5 polymer note is currently listed for sale for the eye watering price of $1,200, by M.R. Roberts Wynyard Coin Centre, one the country’s longest standing coin dealers.
The note, which has a value of up to $1,850, was part of a new batch of brightly coloured $5 dollar bills released by the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1995 to differentiate between the similarly coloured $10 note.
The rare note contains the prefix ‘HC95’ at the start of the serial number, and features a sketch of Old Parliament House and new Parliament House on the back.
“We are offering the Fraser/Evans ‘HC95’ first serial prefix $5 with narrow orientation bands in Crisp Flat Uncirculated (C. F. U) condition which were put away 26 years ago,” a message on the Sydney coin centre website reads.
Coin expert and TikToker Joel Kandiah said the small narrow orientation bands, which can be found at the top and bottom of banknotes, is what makes this particular HC95 note so rare.
“Notes have wide bands and narrow bands and one variety is a little bit rarer than the other,” he told news.com.au.
“The HC95 is the first prefix for narrow bands.”
He said another note in the same series, containing the prefix ‘KC95’, are even more valuable and can fetch a staggering $3,250.
While it’s rare to find these notes in circulation, it’s not impossible.
“Of all the $5 notes in circulation now, about 80 per cent are the new ones from 2016.
“The average lifespan of a $5 note is about five to seven years, so it’s pretty rare to find one from 1995.”
Other notes to keep an eye out for include the $5 bill from 1997 containing the prefix ‘AN97’, which is valued between $900 and $5,750.
“This is a test note, which is when they use a slightly different substrate of polymer to see if it actually can last in circulation.”
A more recent note that could fetch a high price is the $20 bill that includes the prefixes ‘AA19’ or ‘EA19’, and the signatures of the then-governor Philip Lowe and former Treasury secretary John Fraser.
For those who come across a valuable note and are looking to sell it, Mr Kandiah recommends finding a coin dealer from the Australasian Numismatic Dealers Association website, which upholds a code of practice.
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“The only thing is because they’re dealers, they’re going to buy and sell it, so obviously, they’re not going to give you the market price upfront, they’re going to give you maybe 20 to 30 per cent below because they need to make the profit themselves on the sale later on,” he warned.
Other options include Facebook groups, including Australian Speciality Coins and Collectors of Australia, as well as auction houses that specialise in coins.
“You will get market value and it will take time, but auction houses might be your best option.”
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