New Canadian $20 bill goes into circulation today

Canada's new plastic $20 bills go into circulation today.

The polymer bill is set to be issued less than a week before Remembrance Day, and pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian military men and women. The back of the bill features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

• P.O.V.: Is Canada's new $20 bill too "pornographic"?

On Tuesday, the new bill will get its official launch at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Hon. Steven Blaney, the minister of veterans affairs, and David Houghton, president of the Vimy Foundation, are expected to attend the ceremony.

The $20 bill is the country's most widely used bank note.

The Bank of Canada began issuing polymer money a year ago, starting with the $100 bill in November and followed with the $50 note in March. The polymer notes are more secure and durable than earlier bills, according to the bank's website, which says they "are easy to check and hard to counterfeit."

New plastic $5 and $10 notes are scheduled to be issued by the end of 2013.

© The Canadian Press, 2012