Australia’s currency is one of the most advanced banknotes in the world.
You can do almost anything with it.
You can see through it.
It can even withstand hot tea.
And it dries pretty quickly.
You can even surf with it.
But maybe the best part?
You can also use it to buy things.
The nation’s cash is completely waterproof, hard to counterfeit and
ultimately cleaner since it’s resistant to moisture or dirt.
Australia’s banknotes are made of polymer, which feels a bit waxy.
While U.S. banknotes, on the other hand, are made from cotton fiber paper.
Polymer banknotes tend to last two to three times longer than paper notes,
which can reduce replacement costs.
And when you think that, for example, the U.S. ten dollar bill
is replaced every four and a half years, well that can amount to a lot of cash.
Australia continues to advance its banknotes too.
Take a look at Australia’s new $5 banknote.
As you tilt the banknote, you’ll see a rolling color effect, and if you move it the proper way,
you’ll even see this bird move its wings and change colors.
In 2015, the Reserve Bank of Australia said it would add a tactile feature
to help the visually impaired know the value of each note.
Australia was the first to introduce polymer banknotes, and now
it’s been adopted completely by other countries like Canada and Vietnam.
While the United Kingdom introduced polymer into its circulation in 2016.
But as some countries push for a future cashless society in years to come,
will other countries even bother advancing their own banknotes?