The Bank of England has selected the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, and European hedgehog to feature on its next series of banknotes.
The animals will become the main images on the four denominations: £5, £10, £20 and £50. However, the Bank has not yet decided which animal will appear on each note.
The announcement published on 8 October follows a public consultation that received 478,531 responses.
How the animals were chosen
Members of the public selected their preferred animals from a shortlist of 18, developed with wildlife experts.
The barn owl, bumblebee, and hedgehog were the most popular choices in their respective categories. The puffin was selected as the most popular marine animal, helping the series represent Britain’s coastline as well as other environments.
The selection was therefore not simply a list of the four animals with the highest totals. ITV News reported that both the red fox and common kingfisher received more nominations than the puffin.
New notes will take years to arrive
The Bank expects the first denomination in the new series to launch over the next few years. It has not announced a specific release date.
Designing banknotes involves research, security testing, accessibility work, and production trials before full printing begins.
Other natural imagery may also appear in the finished designs. A portrait of the monarch will remain.
Reuters reported that the wildlife images will replace the historical figures on the current series: Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing.
Security and accessibility remain priorities
The redesign is intended to make notes harder to counterfeit and easier to distinguish.
The Bank’s design guidance says the existing sizes and overall colour schemes will remain. Features that help blind and partially sighted people identify denominations will also continue.
The wildlife theme is therefore part of a wider redesign involving security and usability, rather than only a change of pictures.
What it means for the diaspora and visitors
For African diaspora residents, businesses, and visitors using sterling, today’s announcement creates no immediate need to exchange current banknotes.
The Bank’s banknote guidance confirms that current polymer notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II remain valid alongside those carrying King Charles III’s portrait.
People holding current notes outside the UK should distinguish this future redesign from a withdrawal announcement. The animals have been selected, but the new notes have not entered circulation.
