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Five Dollars (Australia)
Value:	5 Australian dollars
Width:	130 mm
Height:	65 mm
Security Features:	Window, Watermark
Paper Type:	Polymer
Years of Printing:	1992–present
Obverse
Design:	Henry Parkes
Designer:	Gary Emery
Design Date:	1 January 2001
Reverse
Design:	Catherine Helen Spence
Designer:	Gary Emery
Design Date:	1 January 2001

The Australian five dollar banknote was issued one year after the currency was changed from the Australian pound to the Australian dollar on 14 February 1966. It was a new denomination, as the pound system had no £2½, with a new mauve colouration. There have been four different issues of this denomination: a paper note which had a gradient of mauve, with a distinct black overprint. The polymer issue which can be recognised for its distinct mauve colouration, was first issued in pale mauve (1992), then from 1995 a deeper purple. A federation commemorative was issued in 2001 for that year only.

According to Reserve Bank statistics, at the end of June 2006 there was a net value of $572 million in $5 notes in circulation, with a 1.5% cash value of all issued currency. Actual banknotes in circulation account for 13.3% of all denominations, or 114 million banknotes. ^[1]

Since the start of issuance there have been sixteen signature combinations, of which the 1967 issue is of the greatest value, issued for two year's only; and the 1990 Fraser/Higgens being issued for less than a year.

From 1967 to 1974 the main title identifying the country was Commonwealth of Australia, there were 195,504,000 notes issued in its life. This was subsequently changed to Australia until the end of the issuance of paper currency for this denomination in 1992 with 978,068,318 of these notes being issued.

The paper design included a watermark in the white field of Captain James Cook, the watermark was also used in the last issue of pound banknotes. A metallic strip, first near the centre of the note, then from 1976 moved to the left side on the obverse of the note. Polymer issue includes a watermark or clear imprint of the coat of arms which is printed over. A pointed star with four points on the obverse and three on the reverse which join under light. The clear window has a eucalyptus flower showing. Raised print and micro printing of the denomination name are included.^[2]

The $5 is sometimes colloquially known as a piglet due to its pink colour, a Stuart Diver (rhyming slang for fiver), or sometimes as a Queenie (for the 1992 release only).

Obverse Henry Parkes	Reverse Catherine Helen Spence	Obverse Queen Elizabeth II	Reverse Parliament House, Canberra
obverse Queen Elizabeth II	Reverse Parliament House, Canberra