How much my Australian decimal banknote is worth?
By CAA | Sunday, 11 July 2021
This simple guide will help to determine the value of any decimal (1966+) banknote. First, there are several factors that influence the value of any Australian banknote.
Factors that affect value
Supply and demand
How much sellers want for a banknote versus how much buyers want to pay for it. Looking at auction prices realized is the key indicator to find the most up-to-date equilibrium price of a Australian banknote.
Grade
The condition of the banknote. If it looks like brand new, higher the grade is. If it shows folding marks, tears, perforations, dirt, drawings or if there is no firmness or the fibers are worn, lower the grade is. The grade is determined, like coins, from a scale from 1 to 70. More information on Australian banknotes grading. There are some third party grading companies who can grade and authenticate (certification services) banknotes for about 10 dollars (and more!) each.
Rarity
How many of a particular banknote (or a particular combination of year, denomination and prefix) was produced or is currently known.
Special serial number
Some serial numbers are considered special and they worth more.
Errors and varieties
During the production process of a banknote, unintentional mistakes can happen. When these mistakes are put into circulation, it usually increases the value.
Find the value by serial number
On the Decimal banknotes price guide and values , you can search a banknote by serial number. The search engine will list the value of the banknote for most grades.
The search engine is currently limited to decimal banknotes. If there is an asterisks "*" after the prefix of a particular banknote, it needs to be typed too in the Prefix field.
Find the value by denomination and sigantures
On the Decimal banknotes price guide and values, each denomination/years can be clicked to list all major values for each signature combination.
For each denomination and signatures combination, there is a direct link to find out latest auction prices realized where you can see how much to expect when selling a Australian banknote.
Books or catalogues
If you want to have more than one source of information on Australian banknotes, some publications also list values. Most of them can be found here. Here's a short list:
- Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values
- Greg McDonald Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes
- ...
Ask a collector or a dealer
Collectors on the discussions board will help you to give you a second or third opinion on the grade or value of your banknote if needed! You can also ask your local coin dealer.
This article is based on How much my Australian banknote is worth? produced for Coinsandcanada
