Not many people take the time to examine their nation’s currency with a magnifying glass. Most of use are happy to use it to purchase items we need, without giving much of a thought for what is printed on the paper. However, one man made a discovery when he took a closer look at Australia’s new bank notes. It turns out, the phrase “great responsibilty” appears on the Australian notes, which we can plainly see is a spelling error.
“Great Responsponsibilty” Part of Aussie History
The phrase that has captured the attention of the world is part of a longer speech by Edith Cowan, who was Australia’s first female member of parliament. The sentence that appears on the Australian notes reads “I stand here today in the unique position of being the first woman in an Australian parliament. It is a great responsibilty.” Cowan was very much a political activist, as she campaigned for women’s rights, social welfare for women and children, and other forms of social change. It is interesting to note she was elected to parliament in 1921 in a victory that came as a surprise. Ironically, the man she defeated in the election is the man who brought forth the legislation that gave her the right to run in the first place.
Australian Notes Will Be Corrected
According to the Reserve Bank of Australia the “great responsibilty” typo on the Australian notes will be corrected during the next printing run of currency. It is not expected that any of the money already in circulation will be recalled. The bank said in a statement “The Reserve Bank of Australia is aware of it and the spelling will be corrected at the next print run.” It isn’t known whether the bank was aware of the spelling error before it became public knowledge.
Who Found The Error?
According to RT.com a radio listener is responsible for finding the spelling error on the Australian notes. He undoubtedly had to use a magnifying glass to spot the words “great responsibilty,” but his discovery has caused quite a stir. It isn’t known yet whether the error affected the entire print run of $50 bills, or if only a few were corrupted. If it turns out that a small segment of the run is all that was affected, these notes will become very valuable in the future.
More New Currency On The Way
Australia has rolled out $5 and $10 notes for its new currency push. Australian notes in the $20 category are expected to be the next ones to be printed. No doubt, after the “great responsibilty” gaffe, Aussies will be looking their new bills over very carefully in the future.
