Watch List notes:

Australia - 50 Dollars RBA & CSIRO testnote 1975 Issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Flock of birds in center. Strand 78.The widespread availability of digital printing techniques made it much easier to forge banknotes in the second half of twentieth century. The Reserve Bank of Australia therefore began a series of discussions with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) to develop a banknote which would be hard to copy through photographic means, while also being sustainable and durable as well as cheaper to manufacture. After extensive testing, the CSIRO came up with banknotes made from a non-fibrous polymer, a springy texture that is halfway between paper and plastic. While a full set of polymer banknotes came in circulation in 1996, the CSIRO issued a handful of 50 dollars experimental test notes to convince the Reserve Bank that the material was capable of incorporating the advanced security features that were not available to paper banknotes. Since these bills were not released to the general public, these test notes are excessively rare and therefore highly sought-after by collectors today. Extremely rare design, unlisted in Pick. UNC