The banknote of 20 pesos, being the lowest denomination, changes quickly of hands and thus causes faster deterioration than other denominations (average 6 months). Several countries that have experienced similar problems have solved it by printing their banknotes on plastic.

This change was considered provisional at first and was intended to determine if Mexico was able to increase the life of banknotes similar to what was achieved in other countries (life increased up to four times).

Part of the issue was printed in Australia by Note Printing Australia (NPA) and part was printed in Mexico by the Printing Works of Banco de Mexico using polymer sheets supplied by Securency, the joint venture between the Reserve Bank of Australia and UCB of Belgium.

This was not a concurrent process. Mexican officials attended NPA to participate in the Australian printing and to learn the intricacies of printing on polymer. Upon conclusion of this process, thought to be about December 2001, the completed notes were shipped to Mexico. Australian technicians then travelled to Mexico to assist in the printing of the second run of notes at the Banco de Mexico Printing Works and all future printing was done in Mexico.

The banknotes of 20 pesos have vertical bars below the serial number at the top left of the front to facilitate mechanical sorting. Banknotes dated 2001 with two classification bars were printed by Note Printing Australia and those with three bars were printed by Banco de Mexico. On the earliest banknotes printed in Mexico, the gap between the second and third bars is 6 mm wide, later this gap was increased to 10 mm.

Subject to a successful evaluation of this matter, Banco de Mexico considered the change definitive and will be apply to the next 20 and 50 pesos banknotes of the ninth emission.

As the design of this note is very similar to the seventh emission note it replaces, the transition was relatively smooth.

This 20 pesos note keeps a design similar to the prior one, but some differences are presents.

Throughout the emission, the letters "I" and "O" are not used in the series and subseries in order to avoid the confusion with the digits 1 and 0.