Wildlife to Take Centre Stage on England’s New Banknotes

The Bank of England has announced that four species of British wildlife – the barn owl, Atlantic puffin, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog – will feature on the next series of banknotes, following a record public response to its consultation on the choice of animals, birds, fish or insects.

The announcement, made on 8 October, marks a departure from the historical figures that have appeared on Bank of England notes since 1970. The current series features Winston Churchill on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50. The new designs will instead celebrate the UK's natural environment, while retaining a portrait of the monarch.

Nearly 480,000 people took part in the Bank's month-long consultation, selecting from a shortlist of 18 species developed with the help of UK wildlife experts. Respondents made more than 2.5 million selections, making this the Bank's largest-ever consultation on banknote imagery.