I acquired these Pre Decimal notes at an auction in 2012.
A workmate had brought my attention to this type of collectible.
The pre decimal notes, after Federation, spanned from 1910 until 1966.
The face side of the Note is called, the Obverse, with the backside called, the Reverse.
When collecting bank notes there are a few aspects that need to be taken into consideration;
You need to work out the type of note you want and your motivations for wanting it.
For me, I wanted to have my very own Pre Decimal Australian Notes.
The notes themselves are quite beautiful. The color schemes and drawing quality I find very elegant.
My budget was limited, so I looked for less rare notes that were in good condition.
I wanted a range of note values.
So, I got 3 notes; 10 shilling, One Pound, and Five Pounds.
For future resale value I recommend to look for notes that are rated, "Very Good", or Better.
I looked for items that were, "Extremely Fine", and within my budget.
The year is important as not all years are the same.
The mintage of notes fluctuates per year. It is dependent on the amount of FIAT that the Government believes is required.
So, a lower mintage year, tends to make the price of those notes more expensive due to scarcity.
The mintage year is normally coded with an "R" and a number.
Such as, the 10 shilling that I have is the Mint of R-16.
It is a more common year. This means the pricing is lower than a lower mintage year.
Also, certain Serial numbers are considered more desirable and will attract a higher price.
The 10 Shilling can also be referred to as a Half-Sovereign.
1954 Coombs Wison ten shilling banknote obverse shows a blank portal to the left, with the Coat of Arms below, and explorer Matthew Flinders in the right portal. link
Coombs/Wilson refers to the signatures on the bottom of the note. Being , the Governor and the Treasurer, at the time.
On the Reverse, you can see the watermark of Captain Cook on the right hand side.
The building is the old Parliament House.
The 1953 Coombs Wilson one pound banknote obverse has a framed design with a blank area to the left and Queen Elizabeth II in a portal to the right. link
1952 was when Elizabeth II became Queen.
The four portals on the Reverse contain; a one pound, Charles Sturt, Hamilton Hume, and a Watermark.
The 1954 Coombs Wilson five pound banknote obverse shows a framed panel titled 'COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA', with the Coat of Arms to the left, and Sir John Franklin to the right. link
It is a beautiful note and I kept my eye on finding one within my price range. It is more expensive than the other two.
The Reverse contains a picture of Primary Production and Aboriginal symbols. There's also a Captain Cook Watermark under the Boomerang.
20 Shillings = 1 Pound
My note holding days are over. My children don't seem to be interested in the collection.
So, I plan to sell them and turn the proceeds, most likely, into Crypto.
I've held them for over 11 years now - time to move further away from FIAT - even the historical kind.
