The Reserve Bank of Australia publishes specific guidance on reproducing its banknote designs, separate from the criminal law set out in the Crimes (Currency) Act 1981 — together, the two form the actual rulebook the prop money industry works within.
The core sizing rule is the one that matters most in practice: any reproduction must differ from the genuine note by at least 25% in linear dimension, in either direction — smaller or larger, never a matching scale.
Beyond size, the guidance also expects reproductions to avoid replicating security features specific to genuine currency — the clear polymer window, raised print details, and similar verification elements exist for authenticating real currency and have no place on a compliant novelty item.
Clear marking is the third pillar: a reproduction should be unambiguously identifiable as not being genuine currency, which is where the NOT LEGAL TENDER marking on every note we sell comes from — not a design choice, but a direct application of the guidance itself.
Every product we sell is produced against all three requirements together — sizing, no replicated security features, clear marking — rather than treating any one of them as sufficient on its own.
Frequently asked
What's the minimum size difference RBA guidance requires?
At least 25% smaller or larger than the genuine note in linear dimension — never the same size as the real thing.
Why don't compliant prop notes have a polymer window?
Security features like the clear window exist for currency verification — replicating them on a novelty item would go against the guidance's intent.