The Reserve Bank of Australia has unveiled the design of the new $5 banknote, which includes new security features to prevent counterfeiting.

The new banknotes will be issued into circulation from September 1, 2016, although the RBA said it would take some time for the new banknotes to be widely circulated.

A short history of the fiver A $5 banknote was first issued in Australia in 1967 and featured Sir Joseph Banks and Caroline Chisholm

A $5 banknote was first issued in Australia in 1967 and featured Sir Joseph Banks and Caroline Chisholm The front of the current $5 banknote includes a picture of Queen Elizabeth II which was commissioned by the Reserve Bank in 1984

The front of the current $5 banknote includes a picture of Queen Elizabeth II which was commissioned by the Reserve Bank in 1984 It appeared on the first polymer banknote on July 7, 1992 The back of the $5 banknote has pictures of the old and new Parliament Houses, which were opened in 1927 and 1988 respectively

The back of the $5 banknote has pictures of the old and new Parliament Houses, which were opened in 1927 and 1988 respectively Three designs of the $5 polymer banknote have been issued

Three designs of the $5 polymer banknote have been issued A banknote celebrating the Centenary of Federation that featured Sir Henry Parkes and Catherine Helen Spence was issued in 2001 Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

"Innovative new security features have been incorporated to help keep Australia's banknotes secure from counterfeiting into the future," RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement.

"As can be seen in the images, these include a distinctive top-to-bottom window."

Pictures show key aspects of the existing design have been retained — colour, size and people portrayed — which the RBA said was for ease of recognition and to minimise the disruption to businesses.

The banknote also includes a new "tactile" feature to help the vision-impaired community distinguish between different denominations.

The designs are the culmination of a process of extensive consultation with subject-matter experts and the cash-handling industry, as well as qualitative research involving focus groups, the statement said.

"Each banknote in the new series will depict a different species of Australian wattle and a native bird within a number of the elements," Mr Stevens said.

The $5 banknote features the Prickly Moses wattle and native Australian bird, the Eastern Spinebill.

Images of the design artwork for the new $5 banknote have been revealed to facilitate preparations for the smooth introduction of the new banknotes, the statement said.

Information on the new design and security features, which will be common to all banknotes in the new series, and how they work will be part of a public awareness campaign over coming months.

The objective of the campaign will be to ensure that members of the public are able to identify and use the range of new security features on the new $5 banknotes when they start to receive them.

The current series of banknotes can continue to be used even after the new banknotes are issued.

Basic design artwork for the serial number side of the new Australian $5 banknote. ( Supplied )

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