the facts behind the canadian 20 dollar bill...

The Canadian $20 bill is the most common banknote of the Canadian dollar, The current 20-dollar bill is predominantly green in colour. The front features a portrait of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, the Royal Arms of Canada, and a picture of the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings. Security features visible from the front include a holographic stripe along the left side, depicting the number 20 alternated with maple leaves; a watermark of the Queen's portrait; and a broken-up number 20, which resolves itself when backlit. The reverse side depicts artworks by Bill Reid, notably his sculptures Raven and the First Men and Spirit of Haida Gwaii. As well as textured printing, this new 2004 design incorporates a special tactile feature similar to Braille dots for the blind indicating the denomination. Notes are printed on paper composed of pure cotton at two Ottawa companies contracted for the purpose. They are the Canadian Bank Note Company and BA International Inc., a part of the Giesecke & Devrient GmbH group of companies. Each bill in the 1991 series was sprinkled with special green ink dots, called planchettes, that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. The ink can be scraped off, so worn bills tend to have fewer, if any, glowing dots. These were replaced with more permanent ultraviolet-detected threads in the new bills, as well as an ink imprint of the coat of arms.