Rare ChangeAU

RARE CHANGE / NOTES / PLATE 31 · $10 · 1966-1967 · NOTE

1966 paper $10, Coombs/Wilson, and what it's worth

The first-series Australian paper ten dollar note (Francis Greenway on the front, Henry Lawson on the back) signed by H.C. Coombs and R. Wilson, with an ordinary serial number and no asterisk.

Not enough sales to pricen = 8

We don't have a fair price for the 1966 paper $10, Coombs/Wilson yet. We show a price only when at least 5 confirmed single-item auction sales in one condition back it, and we have 8 in the last 10 years, spread too thinly.

Common coins and notes often sell in bulk lots, which can't be priced one item at a time. The checks below still tell you whether yours is the version collectors look for.

Updated 30 Oct 2026. Prices refresh after every new auction result.

Prices by condition

AUD

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

Barely wornExtremely Fine · 4 sales

Too few sales for a fair price

Never usedUncirculated · 4 sales

Too few sales for a fair price

Recent sales

Hammer
DateConditionAuctionPrice
13 Apr 2026 Barely worn Noble $150
24 Jul 2023 Barely worn Noble $420
31 Mar 2020 Barely worn Noble $140
2 Apr 2019 Never used Noble $420
20 Nov 2018 Never used Noble $300
31 Jul 2018 Never used Noble $300

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$10$10GreenwayCoombsWilsonAAA 000000AAA 000000Layout only, not to scale. Serial shown is an example.BCAD

  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 a later pair, such as Coombs and Randall, or Phillips and Randall.

  2. Does the serial number start with Z and end in an asterisk?

    The serial number on the front
    YES
    The prefix begins with ZS and the serial number ends in a six-pointed asterisk instead of a digit.
    NO
    The serial number has a three-letter prefix not starting with Z and ends in a digit.

  3. Does the prefix read SAA?

    The three letters printed before the serial number
    YES
    The prefix before the serial number reads SAA, the first prefix of the $10 note.
    NO
    The prefix shows other letters.

  4. 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

The free photo checker is on its way.

Record

Face value
$10
Issued
1966 to 1967
Signatures
Coombs/Wilson (1966, 1967)
  • The paper $10 note was first issued in February 1966, when Australia changed to decimal currency. [5][2]
  • The front shows Francis Greenway and the back shows Henry Lawson. [2][5]
  • Gordon Andrews designed the first decimal note series. [3][5][7]
  • The paper $10 note measures 155 mm by 77.5 mm. [1][5]
  • Notes of this period carry the title Commonwealth of Australia; from 1974 the title became simply Australia. [5][7]
  • In 1966 the Reserve Bank's Governor was H.C. Coombs and the Secretary to the Treasury was Roland Wilson. [7][4][6]
  • Wilson left the Treasury in October 1966 and was succeeded by Richard Randall. [6][7]

Questions

How much is a 1966 paper $10, Coombs/Wilson worth?

There aren't yet enough single-item auction sales of the 1966 paper $10, Coombs/Wilson to give a fair price. We'll show one as soon as at least 5 sales in one condition back it.

How do I know if my 1966 paper $10, 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 Banknotes: Other Banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  2. RBA Museum: Decimal Series 1966-1967 (A Decimal Reformation pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  3. RBA Museum: A Decimal Reformation (pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  4. Reserve Bank of Australia: Governors, read 29 Oct 2026
  5. Wikipedia: Banknotes of the Australian dollar, read 29 Oct 2026
  6. Wikipedia: Roland Wilson (economist), read 29 Oct 2026
  7. Sterling & Currency: Australia's Paper Decimal Banknotes - from Commonwealth to Polymer in 30 Years, read 29 Oct 2026
  8. Sterling & Currency: Star Replacement Notes in Australia - How to Collect Them, 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. Noble Numismatics Sale 138, lot 2802: Ten dollars, Coombs/Wilson (1966), SAA first prefix, read 29 Oct 2026