Bank of England picks puffin, barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog for next banknotes

Mixed · 2The Bank of England has announced that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will feature on its next series of banknotes, one animal for each denomination. 1 2 Centre · 1The choice followed a public consultation that received 478,531 responses, the most the Bank has had for a banknote imagery consultation, with 2,549,003 selections placed across a shortlist of 18 animals in three categories: mammals, birds, and amphibians, insects and fish. 1 Centre · 1The barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog were the most popular in their categories. The puffin was chosen as the most popular marine animal, to add variety and make denominations easier to tell apart, even though the red fox (244,651 nominations) and common kingfisher (211,277) each received more than the puffin's 183,137. 3

Centre · 1The buff-tailed bumblebee was the clear winner with 360,399 votes, nearly 90,000 more than the barn owl, and the hedgehog was the most popular mammal. 4 Centre · 1The Bank had said previously that it would not necessarily pick the four most-nominated animals, because the animals should represent different environments across the UK. 1 Mixed · 2Which animal appears on which denomination will be decided in due course. The animals will be the central imagery, with other elements from nature, potentially including other shortlisted animals, completing the designs, and the series will keep a portrait of the monarch. 1 2

Centre · 1The first denomination will launch over the next few years. The designs are at a very early stage and will be unveiled closer to launch, since designing, testing and printing notes takes years. 1 Mixed · 2Chief cashier Victoria Cleland said the response showed "cash still matters" and that the animals would showcase UK wildlife and enhance banknote security. Incoming chief cashier Rhys Phillips said the Bank would now design, test and produce the notes with modern security features. 1 2 Centre · 1Historical figures have appeared on Bank of England notes since 1970. The current series has Sir Winston Churchill on the £5 (in circulation since 2016), Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50. 1

Centre · 1The BBC says it will be the first time since 1970 that the reverse of Bank of England notes will not feature notable figures from history. It adds that the Bank said the move was primarily to stop counterfeiting, so all images needed to be replaced over time. 4 Left · 1The Daily Mirror reports that dropping the historical figures has been controversial. It says Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch earlier called removing Churchill "erasing our history" and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the idea "absolutely crackers". 2 Mixed · 2The BBC reports that Farage and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey were also angered by the proposal, while Badenoch called it "a silly thing to do". Reuters, carried by the Straits Times, says the Bank's decision in March to drop famous Britons dismayed politicians across the political spectrum and prompted speculation that the Bank wanted to avoid controversies around historic figures. 4 5

Right · 1Reuters adds that the £5 Churchill note is the first due to be replaced, followed by the £10, £20 and £50, and that cash was used for under 10% of payments in Britain in 2024, with trade body UK Finance expecting the decline to level off. 5