---
title: "What is on New Zealand's banknotes?"
description: "The New Zealand dollar: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/new-zealand/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in New Zealand?

**The money in New Zealand: New Zealand dollar (NZD, $)**

5 denominations in issue · Polymer

Kate Sheppard led the campaign that made New Zealand the first self-governing country to give women the vote, in 1893, and she has been on the ten-dollar note since 1991. Hillary is one of very few people to appear on a banknote while still alive — he asked not to be, and was overruled. Every reverse carries a native bird, most of them endangered.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| $5 | Sir Edmund Hillary; the hoiho penguin |
| $10 | Kate Sheppard, suffragist; the whio duck |
| $20 | The monarch; the kārearea falcon |
| $50 | Sir Āpirana Ngata; the kōkako |
| $100 | Lord Rutherford; the mohua |

## The unusual part

Edmund Hillary was alive when his note was issued in 1992, and had objected to the idea.

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** New Zealand dollar — ISO code NZD, symbol $
- **Printed on:** Polymer
- **Survives a wash?:** Yes. Polymer notes come out of a washing machine intact.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** $100 — Lord Rutherford; the mohua

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in New Zealand?

$5: Sir Edmund Hillary; the hoiho penguin. $10: Kate Sheppard, suffragist; the whio duck. $20: The monarch; the kārearea falcon. $50: Sir Āpirana Ngata; the kōkako. $100: Lord Rutherford; the mohua.

### Are New Zealand's banknotes polymer or paper?

Polymer. Polymer notes last two to three times as long as paper ones and survive a washing machine.

## Related pages

- [New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country/new-zealand/)
- [The flag of New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/flag/new-zealand/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)