Movie Props in Australia: Prop Money for Film, TV, Music Videos and Shoots

Movie props: buy or hire

Productions source props two ways. Hiring props, through a prop house or an event prop hire company, suits large, reusable items such as furniture, vehicles and set dressing. Buying film props suits consumables, the items that are handled, damaged or kept. Searches such as movie props, hiring props, event prop hire and movie set props for sale all describe these choices.

Prop money is a consumable. Notes are creased, folded, thrown and counted on camera, and a hired bundle comes back worn. Buying means you control the condition, you can match the quantity to the shot, and the notes are cleared of any question about who last handled them. For a shoot with cash scenes, buying a modest supply is usually cheaper and simpler than hiring.

Prop money for film and TV

Prop money for film and TV serves payments, deals, thefts and briefcase reveals. The standard approach is to match the denomination to the story: $50 notes for ordinary transactions and wallets, $100 notes for big-money scenes, $20 notes for small purchases. Order enough for repeated takes, and keep a sealed reference stack so that continuity holds across shoot days.

We sell prop money by the note, so you can budget exactly. Here are the main formats.

For a guide to each denomination, see our $100 note guide and fifty dollar note guide, and browse the $20 notes.

Prop money for music videos, student films and short films

Smaller productions have the same needs on a smaller budget. A music video usually needs a spread of cash on a table, a fan of notes and a briefcase. A student film or short film needs a few scenes with a wallet, a payment and perhaps a hand-over. In both cases, one or two stacks and a spare half pack are enough, and a single briefcase set covers a reveal.

A useful way to plan is to count the notes visible in each shot and add ten to fifteen per cent for repeated takes. For a short film with a pub scene and a payment, two $50 stacks ($178) plus spares usually cover it. Our minimum order is $350 in goods, so combine denominations or add a pack to reach it.

Prop money for photography and commercials

Product photographers and commercial directors use prop money to suggest wealth, savings or payment. In a studio, the notes sit under controlled light, so condition matters more than quantity: crisp notes, even edges, no visible creases. Order a little more than you need and choose the best notes for the hero shot.

For commercials and brand shoots, check any agency or broadcaster rules about showing currency. Many have their own guidelines, and a marked reduced-scale prop is the safest starting point.

Realistic money: how realistic should it be

People search for realistic money, and the right answer is "realistic enough for the camera, different enough for the law". The notes follow the colours, portraits and layout of Australian currency closely enough to read as money on screen, while being clearly smaller and marked as props. The Reserve Bank's rule for reproducing banknotes says 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 printed on one side only. You can read the full wording on the RBA's page on reproducing banknotes, and the offences sit in the Crimes (Currency) Act 1981. Our notes are reduced-scale, marked NOT LEGAL TENDER on every note, and carry no replicated security features.

Beware any supplier who promises notes that "pass" in a shop or match the real thing exactly. Those claims are exactly what puts a production at risk. A fake note that is clearly a prop is the safe choice, and it looks just as good on screen.

Hiring props for events and parties

Event prop hire and party prop hire serve parties, launches and themed events. They are a good choice for large items such as backdrops and furniture, and for items you will use once. For prop money at an event, a small purchase is usually better, because the notes are handled by guests and are cheap to replace. See our guide to photo booth props for event ideas.

Buy film props: a checklist

If you plan to buy film props, a short checklist avoids surprises. Confirm the quantity by counting the items that appear in shot and adding a spare allowance. Confirm the lead time and the delivery date against your shoot calendar. Check that the supplier states the price per item, the minimum order and the returns policy. Ask whether the items are marked or modified to meet any legal requirement, which for currency means the Reserve Bank rule. And keep the invoice and packaging with the props on set.

For prop money, also check the condition you need. A scene with fresh payments needs crisp notes, while a scene with a worn wallet needs notes that look handled. Decide this before you order, and plan how you will age or protect the notes.

Handling prop money on set

Prop money is handled constantly on a set, so a few habits help. Keep the notes in a labelled box with the continuity notes, and keep a sealed reference stack for comparison. Give the prop master or the art department responsibility for the notes, and count them in and out at the start and end of each day. Avoid leaving notes unattended in public places, and keep them out of bags that will be taken off set.

If a scene is shot in a public place, tell the location manager and any relevant authority that the notes are props, so that nobody is alarmed. A short note from the production, kept with the notes, is a simple precaution.

Working with the art department

The art department decides how the notes look on camera. Share the script scenes, the denominations needed and the condition for each scene. Agree who will prepare the stacks: banding, ageing, packing into a briefcase. If you buy a briefcase set, the notes arrive banded and packed, which saves time. If you buy loose stacks, plan time for dressing.

Good communication saves money. A short list of scenes and quantities lets the art department order the right amount, and a spare allowance avoids last-minute reorders.

A worked budget example

Here is a simple budget for a small production with three cash scenes. Scene one, a wallet payment: one $50 stack at $89. Scene two, a table spread: one $100 stack at $109 and one $50 stack at $89. Scene three, a briefcase reveal: one 500-note briefcase set at $479. The total is $766. A spare $50 half pack at $48.95 and a spare $100 stack at $109 would bring the order to $923.95. Free tracked shipping applies to the whole order.

Movie set props for sale: what to look for

Many productions also browse movie set props for sale to pick up bargains: furniture, signage and set pieces that have been used before. These can be a good source for items that do not need to be pristine, but prop money is different. Notes that have been used on another set are likely to be creased and marked, and you will not know their history. For anything that appears close to camera, buy new.

If you do buy used props, check them carefully for damage, smells and anything that might cause a problem on set. Ask where they came from, and keep a record of what you bought and when, so that you can account for the items at wrap.

Props for a documentary or a reconstruction

Documentary and reconstruction work has its own needs. A reconstruction may need a stack of notes on a table or a briefcase handed over, and the audience will expect it to look like genuine cash. A marked, reduced-scale prop is the right choice, because the production can show it openly and explain, if needed, that it is a prop. For historical reconstructions, the vintage note stacks use an older note design that suits a period piece. See our old Australian banknotes guide for more.

What to check before you order

Our minimum order is $350 in goods, which applies to every order. A film order of two $50 stacks plus a briefcase set comes to $657, and a single briefcase set at $479 clears it on its own.

Lead time. Notes are printed to order, so order ahead of the shoot. We dispatch within one business day of confirmed payment, and delivery by tracked Australia Post usually takes three to five business days, free on every order.

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.

Wholesale. Large productions can ask about a wholesale order through our wholesale page.

For a broader guide, read our prop money guide. Prop notes are for film, theatre, education and novelty use only. They are reduced-scale, marked NOT LEGAL TENDER, and cannot be spent.