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Naked women, Twin Towers seen in new Canadian $20 bill

Canadians saw the images last year during focus groups for the bill that was unveiled last week

When the new Canadian plastic $100 bill was introduced in November, some people saw a sex toy and a woman's body. And now some say the new plastic $20 bill, which was unveiled last Wednesday by the Bank of Canada, is pornographic and has a U.S. site on it.

As CTV reports, Bank of Canada focus groups show many thought the new notes had an image of the former World Trade Center buildings in New York. What people are actually seeing is the Vimy Memorial monument in France, which honours those who fought and died in the World War I battle at Vimy Ridge.

"I wonder if the monument here could conjure up memories of 9/11 or the Twin Towers," one person in Toronto said.

CTV obtained the September 2011 focus group report under the Access to Information Act.

"When you quickly glance at it, and if I didn't know any better, it looks like the Twin Towers," said another.

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said at the unveiling, "The Bank is proud to memorialize this pivotal moment in Canadian history and to feature the inspiring Canadian National Vimy Memorial."

But the Twin Towers aren't all people are seeing on the new bills.

Some participants of the focus group saw people in the buff.

"The naked women are going to offend someone," said one person in Toronto.

It isn't just Canadians who are pointing out these images. The story was picked up by the Daily Mail in England who wrote, "Canadians have been left confused over the country's new $20 bill which some have said appear to feature three naked women and the World Trade Center towers."

The paper notes some focus group participants were unaware of the wartime memorial.

The new $20 bills will begin circulating in November to join the redesigned polymer $50 and $100 bill that are already in use. In addition to people seeing a sex toy on the $100 bill, some have seen a skull and crossbones on the $50. The Bank of Canada will be unveiling new redesigned polymer $5 and $10 bills by the end of 2013.

(Reuters photo)