Plate Identification Letters (PIL) : According to Greg McDonald's publication The Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes [Sixteenth edition, November 2008, ISBN 978-0-9751244-9-9] Plate Identification Letters are very small letters found on each banknote of nearly all paper decimal notes issued. Although initially thought to be a security device, it seems that some markings were included to assist with quality control. The plate letters were on the intaglio printing plates. It is interesting to note that the prefix letters of a banknote run alphabetically and consecutively across the sheet (left to right).

Plate Identification Letters were to be phased out by 1990 and prior to the introduction of polymer notes. Despite this, an interesting feature occurred during the latter part of the printing of the 1993 Fraser Cole paper Ten Dollar note. Throughout bundles of the last print run there was a plate letter on every third note.

How to Locate The Plate Identification Letter : Hold a rule vertically from the the "F" of the Fraser signature and follow it up approximately 30mm. If there is a plate letter it will be sighted on the outside of the left corner of a square in the intaglio design.

As far as can be determind all letters of the alphabet were used, except "I" and "W". When plate letters were used a second time, a vertical line was printed before the letter.

Valuation : r313b – Mc176 # [No plate letter] Fraser/Cole Ten Dollar Banknotes