The American Bank Note Company (ABNC) and it's subsidiary Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. began experimenting with plastic banknotes in the 1980's. The plastic used was Tyvek from Du Pont.

The Spink Bank Note Auction on the 16th April 1997 in London had 4 lots, 444 to 447 with Specimen and Sample Tyvek notes by the ABNC. These notes were Samples or Specimens from Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and Venezuela. One can assume that these were Tyvek Samples that the ABNC were using to try to develop a market in these countries.

Costa Rica and Haiti did eventually use Tyvek Notes but only for a very short period between 1980 and 1983. It would appear from anecdotal information that the bonding was not sufficient and the notes deteriorated fairly rapidly in the tropical conditions.

The ABNC subsidiary Bradbury Wilkinson also produced a Bradvek plastic note for the Isle of Man in 1983. Production of this note ceased when the company was sold.

Note Printing Australia produced it's first Polymer plastic note for the Australian Bi-Centennial in 1988. The first issues did not have sufficient bonding and the Captain Cook OVD was easily removed. The technique was modified with additional layers of bonding which held the printing. All Australian notes are now produced in polymer.

Note Printing Australia have also produced Commemorative and Regular polymer notes for Brunei, Indonesia, Kuwait, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia,New Zealand, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.  It has been reported that Brazil will produce a Polymer Note for the year 2000.

ABNC Issues

Haiti 100 Gourdes Circulating Note.

Click on Note above to see the ABNC Plastic Issues for Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Isle of Man and Venezuela.

Note Printing Australia (NPA)
World Issues Including those produced under License.

Thailand 1996 500 Baht Commemorative.

Note Printing Australia - Australian Issues

Australia 1988 Bicentennial $10 from pack with date.

For the very latest updates and current prices go to Trevor Wilkins site at  http://www.polymernotes.com

The Latest Issue

Kuwait Replacement Note.  They all have the same 91 number.  Image from Trevor Wilkin.

The Latest Find.

Haiti 500 Gourdes Specimen  Image from Trevor Wilkin.

 
 

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