| Obverse |
[Pink Face of King] George V & Coat of Arms |
| Reverse |
Commerce Scene |
| Signatories |
E. C. Riddle, Governor, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
H. J. Sheehan, Secretary to the Treasury |
| Size | 180.34mm [width], 78.74mm [height] |
| Composition | Paper – 77 gsm |
| Watermark | Head of Edward, Prince of Wales in centre oval
’FIVE’ behind each signature |
| Mintage | 11,000,000 |
Serial
Numbers |
Prefix letter R over numeral
R / 0 000001 to R / 11 [last number unknown]
|
Notes :
By introducing a ’legal tender’ status for issued banknotes, there was no longer a need for
them to be redeemable in gold. The opportunity was taken with this change to modify the designs to show
King George V on the front and a bas-relief panel on the back depicting ’Commerce’. Other
innovations were the addition of a circle in the lower center displaying the watermark profile of the
Prince of Wales (later to become famous as the King who abdicated - Edward VIII).
Approximately 20,338,000 five pound notes were printed between 1933 and 1939 featuring the Riddle/Sheehan
signature combination. Cross-hatching with red and green ink on approximately half of the notes produced
a ’pink’ effect on the King's face. On the remainder, lack of cross-hatching left the King’s face white.
Valuation : r44a – Mc65 # Riddle/Sheehan Five Pound Banknotes
| Grading | VG | Fine | VF | EF | aUNC | CFU |
| 1998 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,500 |
| 2003 | 350 | 750 | 2,000 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 12,500 |
| 2008 | 650 | 1,500 | 4,000 | 11,000 | 20,000 | 37,500 |
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