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New $50 Notes - Australia

The new $50 notes for Australian currency are due to enter circulation on the 18th October, in just over one week. New security features that were included in the new $5 and $10 notes issued in 2016 and 2017 will be making their way to the new $50 banknote. Key aspects of the existing $50 note design such as the colour of the note, size and people portrayed on the note will be retained so that the note is easily recognisable and to minimise disruption to businesses. 

New features that will be included in the $50 banknote are:

  • A rolling colour effect when you tilt the banknote.
  • Multiple security features in the clear top-to-bottom window.
  • A black swan that appears to fly through the air when the note is tilted
  • A number 50 which reverses itself when the note is moved from side to side
  • Two patches, one on either side of the note, which change colour when the note is tilted up and tiny writing next to the face of indigenous inventor and author David Unaipon.
  • Four raised bumps on each side of the long edges of the banknote, which work as a tactile feature
  • A patch with a rolling colour effect and microprint featuring excerpts of Unaipon's book Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines and Cowan's maiden speech to Western Australian parliament.

The RBA is expected to release new $20 and $100 banknotes in 2019 and 2020.

More information about the $50 banknote can be found on the RBA website.