Rare ChangeAU

RARE CHANGE / NOTES / PLATE 28 · £5 · 1952-1960 · NOTE

Five pounds, Coombs/Wilson, and what it's worth

An Australian five pound note signed by H.C. Coombs and R. Wilson, from any of its three printings (the 1952 King George VI design, or the Sir John Franklin design of 1954 or 1960), with an ordinary all-digit serial number and no star.

Typical sale · Extremely Finen = 41

A genuine one, barely worn

$200

Middle half of sales $120 to $360. Lowest $50, highest $1,250.

Hammer prices (before buyer's fees) from 75 single-item sales at Noble Numismatics and Downies, 2016 to 2026. Updated 30 Oct 2026.

Prices by condition

AUD

Worn coins sell for less. Find the row that looks most like yours.

WornFine · 4 sales

Too few sales for a fair price

Lightly wornVery Fine · 14 sales

$130

Barely wornExtremely Fine · 41 sales

$200

Never usedUncirculated · 16 sales

$300

Line: lowest to highest sale. Box: the middle half of sales. Dot: the median, half sold for more and half for less.

Recent sales

Hammer
DateConditionAuctionPrice
28 Jul 2026 Barely worn Noble $100
28 Jul 2026 Barely worn Noble $110
25 Nov 2025 Barely worn Noble $160
28 Jul 2025 Never used Noble $300
28 Jul 2025 Barely worn Noble $240
18 Mar 2025 Barely worn Noble $140

How to check yours

Each letter on the drawing marks where to look. A magnifying glass or your phone's zoom helps.

Front of the note
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA£5£5FranklinCoombsWilsonAA/00 000000AA/00 000000Layout only, not to scale. Serial shown is an example.BCDAE

  1. Do the two signatures read Coombs and Wilson?

    The two printed signatures on the front of the note
    YES
    The signatures are those of H.C. Coombs and R. Wilson.
    NO
    The signatures show another pair, such as Coombs and Watt, or Armitage and McFarlane.

  2. Is there a small star where the serial number's final digit would be?

    The end of the serial number on the front
    YES
    The serial number ends in a hollow five-pointed star instead of a digit.
    NO
    Every character of the serial number after the prefix is a digit.

  3. Does the prefix read TA/00?

    The letters and figures printed before the serial number on a Franklin note
    YES
    The prefix before the serial number reads TA/00, the first prefix of the 1954 Franklin printing.
    NO
    The prefix shows other letters or figures.

  4. Does the prefix read TB/41?

    The letters and figures printed before the serial number on a Franklin note
    YES
    The prefix before the serial number reads TB/41, the last prefix of the 1954 Franklin printing.
    NO
    The prefix shows other letters or figures.

  5. Is the printing or cutting visibly faulty?

    The whole note, front and back, including the edges
    YES
    The design is cut off or shifted, ink from another sheet shows on the note, part of the design is missing, or a flap of extra paper is attached.
    NO
    The design sits evenly within the edges and is fully printed.
Check mine from a photo

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Record

Face value
£5
Issued
1952 to 1960
Signatures
Coombs/Wilson (1952, 1954, 1960)
  • Coombs/Wilson were the final pair to sign Australian notes bearing King George VI, the 1952 five pound among them. [8][4]
  • The Franklin design was first issued in 1954, with Sir John Franklin on the front and sheep and cattle on the back. [1][4]
  • The back of the Franklin design combines rural produce with Aboriginal motifs. [1][14]
  • The King George VI five pound design was first issued in 1939. [2][4]
  • The Franklin design carries a Captain James Cook watermark. [1][4][14]
  • H.C. Coombs was Governor of the Commonwealth Bank from January 1949 and became the first Governor of the Reserve Bank in January 1960, serving until July 1968. [3][5]
  • Roland Wilson, the second signatory, headed the Treasury as its Secretary from 1 April 1951 to 27 October 1966. [6][9]
  • Star replacement notes were made for the five pound note, but not for the ten pound note. [7][11]

Questions

How much is a Five pounds, Coombs/Wilson worth?

A genuine Five pounds, Coombs/Wilson in barely worn condition (Extremely Fine) has typically sold for $200 at Australian auctions, with the middle half of sales between $120 and $360. Better-preserved examples sell for more.

How do I know if my Five pounds, Coombs/Wilson is genuine?

Work through the checks above. They cover what genuine examples show and what altered or different versions don't. A photo can't prove a coin or note is genuine, so for a valuable find, ask a professional numismatist or a grading service before you sell.

Should I clean it?

No. Cleaning leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once, and cleaned coins and notes sell for much less. Keep it as it is, in a paper envelope or a coin holder.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from at least two independent sources. Prices come from our own record of auction results.

  1. RBA Museum: 1950s Series (Change and Stability pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  2. RBA Museum: Ash Series 1938-1940 (Change and Stability pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  3. Reserve Bank of Australia: Governors, read 29 Oct 2026
  4. Wikipedia: Banknotes of the Australian pound, read 29 Oct 2026
  5. Wikipedia: H. C. Coombs, read 29 Oct 2026
  6. Wikipedia: Roland Wilson (economist), read 29 Oct 2026
  7. Sterling & Currency: Star Replacement Notes in Australia - How to Collect Them, read 29 Oct 2026
  8. Sterling & Currency: 1952 Five Pound Coombs/Wilson R48, read 29 Oct 2026
  9. Sterling & Currency: 1966 $10 Star Note Coombs/Wilson R301sF, read 29 Oct 2026
  10. Sterling & Currency: Rare, Wrong, and Worth Collecting - The Appeal of Misprinted Banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  11. Australian Coins: Star Notes or Star Replacement Banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  12. Coins and Australia: Star notes registry, read 29 Oct 2026
  13. Coins and Australia: Errors and misprints on Australian banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  14. All Coin Values: The 1954 Coombs Wilson five pound, read 29 Oct 2026
  15. Noble Numismatics Sale 130: Five pounds, Coombs/Wilson (1954), TB/41 last serial prefix, read 29 Oct 2026