Britain’s banknotes are getting a major makeover, with four much-loved British animals set to replace the famous historical figures that have appeared on notes for decades.
Each of the four winning animals will eventually appear on a different banknote, although the Bank has not yet revealed which animal will feature on the £5, £10, £20 or £50 note.
The Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will feature on the next generation of Bank of England notes.
The designs were chosen with the help of the public after almost half a million people took part in the Bank’s biggest-ever consultation on banknote images.
People were asked to choose their favourites from a shortlist of 18 animals, covering mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and fish. More than 2.5 million individual selections were made during the consultation.
The first of the redesigned notes is expected to enter circulation within the next few years.
The hedgehog proved the public’s favourite mammal, receiving 259,665 selections, while the barn owl topped the bird category with 270,596.
The buff-tailed bumblebee was an even bigger favourite, attracting 360,399 selections in the category covering amphibians, insects and fish.
But the puffin’s place on Britain’s future banknotes came with a twist. It did not receive the most votes in the bird category, attracting 183,137 selections.
The common kingfisher received more, with 211,277. The red fox also attracted 244,651 selections in the mammals category, comfortably beating the puffin’s total.
However, the Bank had warned from the outset that the four animals with the highest number of votes would not automatically become the winners.
Instead, it also considered how the four animals would work together as a collection and wanted the notes to represent different environments found across the UK.
The puffin was the most popular marine animal on the shortlist, and the Bank said including a species associated with the sea would help celebrate Britain’s coastline.
Having animals from different habitats could also make it easier for people to distinguish between the different banknote denominations.
The shortlist itself was drawn up with help from a panel of UK wildlife experts before the final decision was made with input from the public.
Other well-supported animals that missed out included the brown hare with 130,614 nominations, the emperor dragonfly on 143,894 and the common frog, which received 120,382.
The marsh fritillary butterfly gathered 108,467 selections, while the grey seal attracted 92,043.
The chosen animals will serve as the primary imagery on each note, but the Bank indicated that additional elements drawn from nature will also feature in the designs.
Other shortlisted creatures may yet appear as part of the finished artwork.
Historical figures have appeared on Bank of England notes since 1970. The current series, which began circulating in 2016 with the £5 note bearing Sir Winston Churchill’s image, also features Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50. The new wildlife-themed notes will continue to carry a portrait of the monarch.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s chief cashier, said: “I am delighted that nearly half a million people responded to our wildlife imagery consultation, showing that cash still matters.”
Ms Cleland added: “With their support, we have chosen four distinct and inspiring animals that not only showcase the great variety of wildlife we have in the UK but will also enhance the security of our banknotes.”
Rhys Phillips, the incoming chief cashier who will oversee delivery of the new series, said: “It’s fantastic to see how engaged the public have been in this choice.”
Mr Phillips added: “With these animals as the focus for the design, we can deliver a new series of banknotes that are secure and represent the UK at its best.
“We’ll now work to design, test and produce the banknotes, combining the imagery we’ve announced today with cutting-edge security features and materials science.”
The Bank cautioned that producing new notes is a lengthy process. Designing, testing and printing banknotes to ensure they meet standards of quality, durability and accessibility takes years, it said.
Because the designs remain at a very early stage, they will not be revealed until closer to launch.
The Bank will also announce at a later date which animal has been assigned to which denomination.
The consultation opened on 3 June and ran for one month. It comes at a time when the growth of contactless payments and mobile wallets has given consumers an ever-widening range of alternatives to physical cash.
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