Australia 1966 $2 R81SF Coombs/Wilson ZFA First Prefix Uncirculated Star Note

A great Australian rarity, we are delighted to present the very first Australian $2 Star Replacement Note – bearing the First Prefix!

Australia’s first $2 note was launched at decimalisation in 1966. Representing a major milestone in Australian currency history, this key banknote issue took place during the Coombs/Wilson signature combination.

Introduced in 1948 to replace notes spoiled during production or in some way faulty, Star Notes were issued until the early 70s, meaning that it was under Coombs/Wilson that the first $2 Star Note was issued. We not only have an example of the first $2 Star Note available – we have the first $2 Star Note available bearing the First Prefix!

Distinguished by the very first prefix used for $2 Star Notes, ZFA, the note before you is rare under any circumstances. It is excessively rare when found in pristine, unused, Uncirculated condition – as here!

Secure this numismatic superstar right now, and take your collection to a new level. Click add to cart!

About Star Notes…

The ‘Glamour notes of Australian numismatics’!

The ‘glamour notes’ of Australian numismatics, Star Replacement Notes are sought after for their rich history, distinctive nature – and extreme rarity. Indeed, seldom seen on the market, Star Notes rank among Australia’s greatest rarities across the predecimal and decimal fields.

Distinctive in appearance, the Star Note was introduced in 1948 to aid the speed of note production. Instead of creating a hand-printed replacement bearing the same serial number as a faulty or damaged note, as had been the case in the past, the Star Note was given a new serial with no relation to the number of the withdrawn note. Each replacement note carried a 5-digit serial number, ending with a star during the predecimal period – hence the name – and an asterisk during the decimal era.

Printed in tiny numbers from 1948 until the early 1970s, when automated processes rendered the practice unnecessary, Australian Star Notes were naturally created with the specific intent of being issued for circulation. As Australian paper banknotes had a relatively short lifespan, it is logical that most Star Notes will have been withdrawn from circulation by the authorities and destroyed. And, of surviving examples, most will have suffered extensive circulation.

As a result, whilst rare in any condition, all Star Notes are excessively rare when found in the upper echelons of quality.