The Bank of England has announced that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, and European hedgehog will be featured on the next series of banknotes. The new series will be introduced over the coming years, although specific launch dates and detailed designs have yet to be finalized.

The decision follows a public consultation conducted by the Bank, which garnered nearly 500,000 responses—the highest number ever received in a banknote imagery survey. Participants were asked to choose from a shortlist of 18 animals across three categories: mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects, and fish. The shortlist was developed in collaboration with UK wildlife experts to reflect species native to different environments across the country.

While the barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, and European hedgehog emerged as the most popular in their respective categories, the Atlantic puffin was selected as the marine representative despite not receiving the highest number of votes in the birds category. Notably, the red fox and common kingfisher received higher nominations than the puffin, with the fox polling 244,651 votes and the kingfisher 211,277, compared to 183,137 for the puffin. The Bank explained that the inclusion of a marine animal enhances the variety of the series, aids in denomination differentiation, and offers an opportunity to celebrate the British coastline.

The Bank of England emphasized that the animals will serve as the central imagery on the banknotes, but other natural elements may also be included to complete the designs. Additionally, some animals omitted from the final selection may still feature in other design aspects. The assignment of each animal to a specific banknote denomination will be announced closer to the release date.

Banknotes issued by the Bank of England have showcased historical figures since 1970. The current series, introduced in 2016, depicts Sir Winston Churchill on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10, J.M.W. Turner on the £20, and Alan Turing on the £50. The Bank noted that advances in payment technologies, such as contactless and mobile wallets, have expanded alternatives to cash, but banknotes remain an important part of the currency system.

The consultation, launched on June 3 and running for one month, received 478,531 responses. Respondents made a total of 2,549,003 selections across the shortlisted animals, demonstrating significant public engagement in the process of redesigning the banknotes. The Bank will continue to work on design, testing, and printing to ensure the notes are durable, secure, and accessible ahead of their eventual introduction.