Plastic or polymer banknotes were first developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1988. Advantages of such banknotes are quite obvious: they last significantly longer than paper notes, have lesser environmental impact, a reduced cost of production and replacement and incorporate many security features not available to paper banknotes, including the use of metameric inks. The United Kingdom, Chile, Nicaragua, Republic of Maldives and some other countries have introduced plastic banknotes into circulation too. Here are the best looking plastic banknotes out there.