Puffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotes
The consultation covers a shortlist of native species as the Bank aims to improve note design and anti-counterfeiting features.
- The Bank launched a public consultation on Wednesday inviting people to select wildlife for the next series of banknotes, confirming that nature will replace historical figures on future currency.
- To increase counterfeit resilience, designers are transitioning from historical figures including Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing to wildlife imagery on £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes.
- Shortlisted species include Dolphins, Foxes, and Atlantic puffins, grouped into three categories representing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to ensure distinct animals across denominations.
- Leaders of the Conservatives, Reform, and Liberal Democrats criticized removing historical figures, while marketing professional Gus Charlier favored wildlife and financial services worker Richard Easton argued for keeping a human focus.
- Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision by the end of 2026, though The Bank noted the selection may not necessarily reflect the highest public response due to design and geographic requirements.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Churchill Won't Be on UK Banknotes for Long: Hedgehogs and Puffins Could Replace Historic Icons
Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, and Alan Turing are about to lose their places in British wallets. The Bank of England on Tuesday opened a public consultation asking voters to choose which native wildlife should appear on the next series of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes, ending more than half a century in which the country's currency has carried a famous historical figure on its reverse side. A shortlist of 18 species, assembled with a six-member …
Why a frog instead of Churchill? The reason the UK is changing its banknote designs. A total of 18 types of wildlife, symbols of the UK, were nominated. Animal images are advantageous for applying security technology. Criticism has also been raised regarding the low diversity of figures in the composition. Political circles argue that excluding historical figures is erasing history. The Bank of England (BoE), the UK's central bank, has nominated…
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