Polymer banknotes

In 1988, Australia issued the world's first general circulation polymer banknote, a $10 bicentennial commemorative. Almost forty years later, over fifty countries are issuing currency in plastic, and for collectors, it has become a category in itself with its own rules.

What makes them special to collect

Polymer allows for things that paper doesn't: transparent windows, holograms integrated into the substrate, tactile reliefs, and inks that change color when the banknote is tilted. It also lasts much longer: an uncirculated polymer banknote is less likely to deteriorate in an album than a cotton one, and it doesn't ripple with humidity.

Where the interesting part is

Romania was the first European country to switch its entire series to polymer, which is why its lei are the cheapest entry point into this category. Vietnam did the same in Asia. Nigeria, Zambia, and Mozambique use it in their low denominations, which is precisely where banknotes suffer the most. And Nicaragua, Fiji, or Papua New Guinea have short-run plastic commemoratives that are not reissued.

What you will find here

Uncirculated polymer banknotes from all five continents, with their catalog reference. Many are commemorative issues, as plastic is often used for special editions.

A note on their preservation

Polymer doesn't tear, but it does crease: a fold in plastic leaves a white line that won't go away. That's why truly uncirculated specimens are worth more than paper ones, and why they are always shipped flat and protected.