15 Aug 2010

Banks still not seeing notes withdrawn during crisis

5:18 pm on 15 August 2010

There is no sign of the large amounts of high denomination bank notes taken out by the public during the global financial crisis being deposited back with the banks.

The 2008 crisis led to people taking out in particular $100 bills.

In the year to March 2009 the number of $100 bills in circulation increased by 15% and $50 bills by 17% representing an extra $310 million worth of bills in public circulation.

The Reserve Bank's head of currency Alan Boaden says the rush on the big notes stopped almost overnight when the government introduced the Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme in October 2008.

However, Mr Boaden says the dollars are still out there and falling interest rates means people are not in a hurry to get them back into the banks.

He does not think it indicates a mistrust in banks.