Fifty Dollar Note Props in Australia: Prices and Sizes

What fifty dollar note props are

A 50 dollar note prop stack is a banded bundle of reproduction banknotes for film, theatre, photography, content creation and gifts. It is not currency and cannot be used as currency. People searching for a fifty dollar note in Australia, a "new 50 dollar note", "50 dollar notes Australia", an "Australia 50 note", an "Australian 50$ note" or an "old 50 dollar note Australia" for a prop usually want the same thing: notes that read as an ordinary $50 on camera without creating a legal problem for the person holding them.

Our standard unit is the 50 dollar note prop stack: 100 notes with a combined printed face value of $5,000. Face value only describes the number printed on the notes. It is not a value in money, and we price by the note, not by the printed amount. The $50 is the denomination productions ask us for most often, because it sits in the middle of everyday spending: big enough to mean something in a scene, common enough that nobody questions it.

50 dollar note pack sizes and prices

We sell $50-style notes in three pack sizes. All prices include GST and shipping is free on every order. The per-note price falls as the pack grows, because printing, banding and packing effort is spread over more notes.

The stack is the working unit for most scenes. The half pack suits a single wallet, a handed-over envelope or a magic routine, and the jumbo pack suits long shoots where the same notes have to survive many takes. If you want an older look for a period piece, the vintage $50 note stack is the same $89 price with an older note design.

Our minimum order is $350 in goods, so one stack alone does not reach it. Four stacks do ($356), as do two jumbo packs ($418) or a jumbo pack plus two stacks ($387). If you would rather mix denominations to reach the minimum, the mixed denomination starter pack combines $20, $50 and $100 notes for $49. For how the same per-note logic works across every denomination, see our guide to the $100 note.

Why the $50 is the workhorse of prop money

The current $50 note entered general circulation on 18 October 2018 and features David Unaipon and Edith Cowan, according to the Reserve Bank's release on the new $50 banknote. It is one of the notes Australians handle most, which is exactly why it works as a prop. Viewers recognise the colour and layout in a fraction of a second, so the note does its job without a close-up.

That familiarity also explains why a $50 stack feels more natural than a $100 stack in many scenes. A character paying a tradesperson, tipping a driver, settling a bet or paying a debt in cash is far more likely to hand over fifties than hundreds. Use the $100 when the scene is about a fortune, and the $50 when it is about a transaction.

Dressing a scene with 50 dollar notes

Frame first, quantity second. The notes below are rough starting points to adjust against your shot list.

A wallet or a hand-over. Five to fifteen notes is plenty. A half pack covers it and leaves spares for retakes, and it costs $48.95.

A register, a bar or a counter. One 100-note stack fanned and re-stacked covers most medium shots. If cash is counted on camera across several takes, add a second stack, because notes crease and a crumpled note that was crisp in take one breaks continuity.

A deal, a bribe or a payment. A single banded stack held in one hand reads clearly. Do not over-order here: one stack with a visible band tells the audience everything it needs to know.

A money gun or a throw. Notes that are thrown, fanned or fired wear quickly, so add roughly ten to fifteen per cent spare. Our money gun refill pack uses $50-style notes (50 for $48.95) so the device and the notes are matched.

Continuity across a shoot day. Notes that look different from take to take pull the audience out of the scene. Keep one sealed stack as a reference and rotate the working notes from fresh stock rather than reusing the same bundle all day.

New or vintage: choosing the right look

Most buyers want crisp, current-looking notes, and the standard stack delivers that. But a scene set in an earlier decade, a flashback, or a character who keeps their cash in a coat pocket for weeks all benefit from a different look. The vintage $50 note stack uses an older note design at the same $89 price, so choosing it costs you nothing extra. Use it when the story is set before the current series entered circulation in 2018, and use the standard stack for everything set today.

Mixing the two in one shot is usually a mistake. A pile that contains both designs looks like a continuity error unless the scene is deliberately about someone's old savings. If you are unsure, shoot a short test with both stacks under your actual lights and compare them on a monitor before you order the quantity you need.

Budgeting 50 dollar note props for a job

Because every price is per note, budgeting is simple arithmetic. Here are three realistic jobs and what the notes would cost, so you can compare against any other supplier you are quoting.

A one-day short film with a pub scene and a payment. Two stacks cover it with spares: 200 notes at $89 each is $178. To reach our $350 minimum you would add a jumbo pack ($209), which also covers a second shoot day, for $387 in total.

A theatre season with a nightly cash exchange. A half pack ($48.95) is plenty for the exchange itself, but the notes handle a hundred performances, so plan for replacements. Two jumbo packs ($418) give a full-run supply and a spare set for understudies and rehearsals.

A content creator filming a cash reveal. One stack ($89) looks substantial on camera when it is banded and held up. A money gun adds movement, so pair the stack with a refill pack of 50 notes ($48.95). Together with other items to reach the minimum order, you can build a full kit in one parcel.

These figures use our current prices, which include GST, with free tracked shipping on every order. They are only a guide: the right quantity depends on what the camera sees and how many takes the scene needs.

Common mistakes when ordering 50 dollar notes

Ordering by printed face value. Some buyers add up the face value they want on screen and then buy to match it. Prop notes are priced and counted by the note, so work backwards from what is visible in frame, not from a total.

Skipping the spares. Notes that are folded, thrown or counted on camera wear out. A shortfall on shoot day costs far more than ten or fifteen extra notes at $0.89 each.

Ignoring lead time. Notes are printed to order, so building a prop budget the day before a shoot is risky. Allow for production, dispatch within one business day of confirmed payment, and three to five business days of delivery.

Treating a prop as something it is not. An Australian 50 dollar note replica can be perfectly lawful as a prop and still cause real trouble if it is used to pay for anything or posted online with a claim that it is genuine. Keep the marking visible, never use it as payment, and keep the packaging and invoice with the notes when you transport them.

The RBA rule for a 50 dollar note replica

The Reserve Bank publishes the rule for reproducing banknotes: a physical reproduction must be smaller than three-quarters, or larger than one and a half times, the length and width of the genuine note, and it must be printed on one side only. The full wording is on the RBA's page on reproducing banknotes, and the offence provisions are in the Crimes (Currency) Act 1981.

Our notes are reduced-scale, marked NOT LEGAL TENDER on every note, and leave out the security features a genuine note carries. Serial numbers are system-assigned placeholders only, and we never offer custom or buyer-specified serials. If a supplier claims their notes can pass as genuine, match the real thing exactly or defeat a detector, treat that as a warning, not a selling point.

What to check before you buy 50 dollar note props

Compare suppliers on facts rather than headline prices.

Price per note. Divide the pack price by the note count. A cheap pack of 50 can cost more per note than a mid-priced pack of 250.

Scale and sides. Reduced-scale and one-sided is the legal requirement, not an upgrade. Notes described as the "same size" as the genuine item are a red flag.

Dispatch and delivery. We dispatch within one business day of confirmed payment and delivery by tracked Australia Post usually takes three to five business days, at no charge.

Returns. If an order arrives damaged, misprinted or incorrect, contact us within 14 days of delivery for a replacement or refund, and returns by mail are free. Notes are printed to order, so change-of-mind refunds are not offered once an order has shipped.

Payment. We accept PayID/Osko, bank transfer via Osko, and crypto with 10% off the goods subtotal. Payment details are sent after your order request is confirmed, and printing starts when payment clears.

Official video and further reading

To see the genuine note before briefing your art department, the Reserve Bank has published a 60-second official video on the new $50 banknote. It is a good reference for colour and layout, and it is the note our replicas are styled on.

When you are ready, start with the 50 dollar note prop stack for most scenes, or browse the whole $50 prop notes range for other sizes. Everything ships free and tracked within Australia.

Prop notes are for film, theatre, education and novelty use only. They are reduced-scale, marked NOT LEGAL TENDER, and cannot be spent.