Which central bank introduced the world's first polymer banknote?

The Reserve Bank of Australia introduced the world’s first polymer banknote.

Australia issued the pioneering note in 1988 as a commemorative $10 banknote marking the bicentenary of European settlement. It was produced on a transparent polymer substrate rather than traditional paper, making it more durable and allowing a clear window as a security feature.

The note resulted from collaboration between the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, known as CSIRO. After the commemorative issue, Australia progressively moved its circulating banknotes to polymer, completing the transition in the 1990s.

Polymer notes are not the same as plastic-coated paper notes: they use a specialized plastic film as the principal substrate. Canada later became the first country to issue a complete circulating series of polymer banknotes, beginning in 2011, which is why the two central banks are sometimes confused in trivia questions.