Banknotes in circulation
Learn about the 5 different banknotes currently in circulation and their imagery.
Current banknotes
New Zealand has 2 types of banknotes in circulation — the Series 7 and the Series 6.
There are 5 denominations (values) of notes in circulation: $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.
Differences between Series 7 and older banknotes series
Design
The Series 7 design themes are the same as for Series 5 and Series 6, featuring the same respected New Zealanders, Her Majesty the Queen, and New Zealand's flora and fauna. What's different from Series 6 is the notes have a brighter, clearer look, with the note denomination shown in larger print and greater colour contrast between notes.
They have very little text but feature additional Māori language:
- Aotearoa – the Māori name for New Zealand.
- Te Pūtea Matua – the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Māori name.
- The names of the native birds on the reverse of the notes (hoiho, whio, kārearea, kōkako, mohua) are also written in Māori as previously.
Series 6 was the first banknote printed on a polymer plastic base, while Series 5 was the last banknote printed on cotton-based paper.
Security features
The Series 7 notes have more sophisticated security features that greatly enhance the overall design.