Plate Identification Letter Locations on Australian Banknotes
By AG | Sunday, 17 September 2023
A Plate Identification Letter (PIL) is a very small letter found on each note of nearly all Paper Decimal notes issued. Although initially thought to be a security device, it seems tenable now that they were included to assist with quality control.
The plate identification letters were on the intaglio printing plates.
1 dollar banknotes plate identification letter location
A sheet was made of 35 banknotes in a 5x7 format. Plate letters were placed like illustrated here. I, M, O and W weren't used as plate letters. Z was exclusively used on BLZ prefixes onwards. DBP notes were numbered separately.
It commenced with Phillips-Wheeler series at BLH to Johnston-Stone with DPS.
2 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
A sheet was made of 45 banknotes in a 5x9 format.
It started with Phillips-Wheeler at HBR to Johnston-Fraser at KVY.
5 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
First, a sheet was made of 24 banknotes in a 4x6 format. Then, it changed to 5x8 (40 banknotes). The plate identification letter is different according to the sheet.
First plate letter position
Second plate letter position
10 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
Even if plate identification letters were to be phased out by 1990, it was found in a long consecutive run of Fraser-Cole $10, that an interesting feature occurred during the latter part of the printing process. Throughout bundles of the last print run there was a plate identification letter on every third note.
First, a sheet was made of 24 banknotes in a 4x6 format. Then, it changed to 5x8 (40 banknotes). The plate identification letter is different according to the sheet.
First plate letter position
Second plate letter position
10 dollars Bicentenary
A sheet was made of 24 banknotes in a 4x6 format.
20 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
It started with Phillips-Wheeler at XHB to Johnston-Fraser at VVX.
50 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
It started with Phillips-Wheeler at YAA to Johnston-Fraser at YXH.
100 dollars banknotes plate identification letter location
It started with Johnston-Stone at ZAA to Johnston-Fraser at ZEH.
Plate identification letters were to be phased out by 1990 prior to the introduction of Polymer notes. Following 1990, any new notes printed did not have a plate identification letters.
