The Bank said the four animals will be the central images on the next series of pound notes after 478,531 people took part in a wildlife consultation. It has not assigned animals to denominations.
The Bank of England said on Thursday that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will be the central images on the next series of banknotes. The notes will still carry a portrait of the monarch. The Bank has not decided which animal will appear on the £5, £10, £20 or £50.
The choice followed a consultation that ran from 3 June to 3 July 2026 and drew 478,531 responses, the most the Bank says it has received on banknote imagery. Respondents made 2,549,003 selections from a shortlist of 18 animals. The bee received 360,399 nominations, the barn owl 270,596 and the European hedgehog 259,665. The puffin, with 183,137, was chosen as the most popular marine animal so the series would be easier to tell apart and would mark the coastline.
Chief cashier Victoria Cleland said nearly half a million responses showed that cash still matters, and that the four animals would also help the security of the notes. Incoming chief cashier Rhys Phillips, who takes over on 19 October 2026, said the Bank would now design, test and produce the notes. The Bank said the first denomination is expected over the next few years, not immediately.
Nature was picked as the theme in March 2026 after a 2025 consultation. The current Series G notes show Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, J.M.W. Turner and Alan Turing. The Bank said cash in circulation was £91.5 billion at the end of February 2026 and remains the preferred payment method for about one in seven people.
No print date or denomination pairing was announced. The BBC reported that the shift away from historical figures had angered some politicians. The Bank’s release does not name those critics.
People Sentiments Neutral
- Victoria Cleland said the response showed that cash still matters.
- Rhys Phillips said the animals would help deliver notes that are secure and represent the UK.
- The BBC reported that replacing historical figures angered some politicians.