CAIRO — The first pictures of Egypt's new banknotes, known as the “plastic banknotes,” were published online Aug. 1. The images went viral as many viewers were offended by the 20-pound note's watermark of the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali, which appears rainbow colored in pictures some said resembles the LGBT pride flag.
In July, the Egyptian government announced plans to change some of its traditional banknotes to polymer bills with new designs, starting with the 10- and 20-pound notes. The Central Bank of Egypt plans to launch the new banknotes at the beginning of November.
