Reserve Bank of New Zealand $5, Sir Edmund Hillary, New 2015 Polymer Issue, Gem.

This new design, introduced on December 10, 2015, was awarded The 2015 Banknote of the Year by The International Banknote Society in March 2016. It was pronounced a "clear winner" among the nearly 40 eligible designs from a record 20 countries. It is one of nearly 150 new banknotes release in 2015. to be eligible, a banknote must have been issued for the first time during the award year and be in general circulation.

The new note, printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company in Ottawa, is part of the Reserve Bank's new "Brighter Money" banknote upgrade series which includes "improved security features, vibrant imagery, and innovative design". It shows mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary facing the South Island's Aoraki/Mount Cook on the front and, on the back, images of a rare yellow-eyed penguin and local flora. Advanced security features are numerous and include very attractively designed polymer window images.