S3R13a

Test note

In 1997, the RBA made a special print run of $5 Fraser-Evans notes to test a minor modification to one of the materials used in the opacifying inks (i.e., a static-free substrate). The test was successful and the RBA decided to put the notes into general circulation. Some 300,000 such notes were released into the circulation with prefixes running from AN 97 to DN 97, and with the serial number range from 999999 to 990229, meaning there are only around 7,500 notes for each prefix. The previously accepted prefix range for this issue was BA 97 to HB 97, with M as the highest letter used as the second letter of the prefix—letter A as the first prefix letter has not been used for regular issue $5 notes since 1995. Similar test issue has been produced in 1996 for $100 Fraser-Evans notes. This is a sheet layout for S3R13a: