Design
There have been seven different series of New Zealand banknotes, and the one-hundred-dollar note was introduced with the third series of banknote.Third series (1967–1981)
The first one-hundred-dollar notes were issued alongside the first one-dollar, two-dollar, five-dollar, ten-dollar, and twenty-dollar notes with the introduction of the New Zealand dollar on 10 July 1967. They were made of cotton-based paper. The design was selected by a six-person design committee appointed in 1964, which included Alexander McLintock, Stewart Bell Maclennan and Professor John Simpson, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury. All the notes of this series had Queen Elizabeth II on the front, and a watermark of Captain James Cook. They also had a New Zealand bird and the plant most closely associated with that species on the back. The back of the one-hundred-dollar note featured aFourth series (1982–1990)
In late 1981 the Reserve Bank switched to a different printer which meant that new printing plates had to be made. The only changes with this series were minor drawing changes and an update to the portrait of Elizabeth II. A fifty-dollar note was also introduced in 1983 to fill an apparent gap between the twenty-dollar and one-hundred-dollar notes.Fifth series (1992–1999)
New Zealand's banknotes were completely re-designed in the 1990s to introduce uniquely New Zealand designs. The new one-hundred-dollar note featured Ernest Rutherford on the front, with theSixth issue (1999–2016)
In 1999, New Zealand changed from paper banknotes to polymer banknotes. The change increased the life of the banknotes and also allowed new and improved security features to prevent counterfeiting. The overall design of the notes remained unchanged albeit for slight modifications for the new security features.Seventh issue (2016–present)
A new one-hundred-dollar note was released in May 2016 along with the newly designed twenty-dollar and fifty-dollar notes, as part of the Series 7 banknote release (described by the Reserve Bank as the "Brighter Money" series). The new five-dollar and ten-dollar notes had previously been released in October 2015. The new series was introduced in order to add more security features to New Zealand banknotes. As surveys showed that the New Zealand public were generally content with the note design, very few design changes were made and the overall design remains similar to the Series 5 note. The note was brighter in colour and featured the Māori translation of Reserve Bank (Te Putea Matua), and "New Zealand, Aotearoa" on the back.Usage
At first the one-hundred-dollar note saw little use due to its high value; in terms of December 2018 dollars, it had the purchasing power equivalent to around $1,800 in July 1967, and around $395 in December 1981. By March 1982, only 120,500 $100 notes were in circulation; by comparison, 24 million $10 notes were in circulation. Since 1993 however, holdings of the one-hundred-dollar note has overtaken holdings of five-dollar and ten-dollar notes, and have continued to increase. Reserve Bank research indicates that this could be because cash in New Zealand is being used less for transactional purposes and more as aSecurity features
New Zealand's banknotes incorporate many security features to prevent counterfeiting. The newer polymer banknotes have a distinctive plastic feel and should not tear easily. Security features on the Series 7 one-hundred-dollar note include a large transparent window containing intricate details, such as the denomination of the note and a detailed border with ferns and koru patterns. When held up to the light, small puzzle pieces on the front and back of the note form a complete number 100 (the denomination of the note). The front and back of the banknote have raised ink that can be felt. On the front of the banknote, the large number 100, the portrait and the words "Reserve Bank of New Zealand Te Pūtea Matua" are raised; on the back, the large number 100, the featured bird and the words "New Zealand" and "Aotearoa" are raised. The Series 6 security features include that, when the note is shown to the light, a shadow image ofReferences
{{Economy of New Zealand 100 dollar One-hundred-base-unit banknotes