LONDON — The Bank of England announced a shortlist of native UK wildlife that could appear on future £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes, launching a public consultation that will run until 3 July. The initiative aims to incorporate updated security and accessibility features while replacing historical figures such as Jane Austen, Winston Churchill, and Alan Turing.
The shortlisted mammals include the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, pine marten, and red fox. Birds under consideration are the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker, and white-tailed eagle. Amphibians, insects, and fish on the list include the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, Emperor dragonfly, and marsh fritillary butterfly. All species are native to Britain, and some, including the Atlantic salmon and marsh fritillary butterfly, are endangered.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s chief cashier, said: “I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes. The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK.” A panel of wildlife experts helped develop the shortlist, and the public may select up to two examples from each of the three categories: mammals, birds, and amphibians/insects/fish.
The Bank of England stated that wildlife imagery provides an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the UK and noted that animals are especially well suited for the new security features on banknotes. The final selection will include four distinct animals across the notes to ensure they are easy to tell apart, meaning the most popular choices may not be selected if they appear too similar.
Nigel Farage criticized the Bank of England's decision, claiming it wanted to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver. No beaver appeared on the shortlist. Kemi Badenoch said the decision to feature wildlife on banknotes was “a silly thing to do.”
The Bank noted that wildlife was the most popular theme suggested in a prior public consultation on banknote imagery. It added that it will be several years before the new banknotes enter circulation due to the lengthy design and testing process.