CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) is the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia. This rare note was made to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the organization, according to various sources only 6000 of these notes were made, mostly given as a gift to employees and a few visiting guests.
CSIRO played a major role in the creation of polymer banknotes, a revolution in the world of banknotes that started in 1968, when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) requested a scientific solution to the problem of forgery. CSIRO, RBA and the University of Melbourne joined their knowledge, and in 1988 the first legal tender polymer note was finally issued (the famous 10 dollar note with a young aboriginal on the front) and was soon followed by many other polymer notes around the world. Nowadays countries like Brunei, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Kuwait and Vietnam have completely switched to polymer notes only, while the list of countries that have introduced polymer banknotes into circulation has gradually become longer and longer (the United Kingdom, Cape Verde, Chile, Gambia, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, Maldives and Nepal). The reason why the production and circulation of polymer notes has spreaded so much around the world is that the advantages of this product extend beyond the original goal of putting an end to the problem of forgery. As a matter of fact polymer notes are also much more durable and less likely to carry dirt and therefore diseases.
For more info about CSIRO and the production of polymer notes please visit:
- csiro.au/
- csiropedia.csiro.au/polymer-banknotes/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Scientific_and_Industrial_Research_Organisation
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote
- Year: 2006
- Country: Australia
- Pick: NL
- Features: Thick polymer substrate, transparent window
- Size: 160 x 90 mm
- Grading: Unc- ---> A couple of microscopic bits of color have come off along the edges
- Size for shipping: Average
