Four animals replace the historical figures

The Bank of England said on Thursday that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will feature on its next banknotes over the coming years, replacing Winston Churchill and other historical figures. Each animal will appear on one of the four denominations, but the Bank has not yet decided which animal goes on which note and will announce that closer to launch. Reuters reports that the Atlantic puffin was selected to ensure a marine animal was on the list, while the Bank said the inclusion adds variety and makes the denominations easier to distinguish. The central imagery will be supported by other elements from nature, and other shortlisted animals may also be included to complete the designs. The monarch will continue to appear on the notes.

How the public voted

Almost 500,000 people voted on a selection of 18 animals released by the central bank in June, with the shortlist developed alongside a panel of UK wildlife experts. The buff-tailed bumblebee was the most popular creature on the shortlist, followed by the barn owl and the European hedgehog, which won in their respective categories. The red fox drew 244,651 nominations and the common kingfisher 211,277, both ahead of the Atlantic puffin at 183,137. The Bank has said previously that it would not necessarily choose the four animals with the most responses, and that it wants the set to represent different environments across the UK. Historical figures have appeared on Bank of England notes since 1970, and the current series has circulated since 2016, when the £5 Churchill note was issued.

Why the Bank changed direction

The Bank announced in March that it would no longer feature famous Britons on future banknotes, a decision that dismayed politicians across the political spectrum and prompted speculation that the central bank wanted to avoid controversies around historical figures. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, accused the Bank of trying to erase British history, according to a Guardian report cited by Berliner Zeitung. Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform party, called the decision completely crazy, and Liberal Democrat Ed Davey also criticised the move. The Bank says the change will make its notes more distinctive and harder to counterfeit. Victoria Cleland, the Bank's Chief Cashier, tied the strong response to the continued role of cash.

I am delighted that nearly half a million people responded to our wildlife imagery consultation, showing that cash still matters

Cash and what comes next

Cash use in Britain has fallen steeply, a decline accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to almost all retailers accepting contactless card and smartphone payments. Under 10% of payments were made in cash in 2024, and UK Finance expects the decline to level off because a small percentage of Britons strongly prefer cash. Rhys Phillips, who will take over banknote issuance at the Bank, said the team will now design, test and produce the notes, combining the announced visuals with security features and recent materials science. The Bank says designing, testing and printing durable, accessible, high-quality notes takes several years, so the designs will be unveiled nearer the official launch. The first note due for replacement is the £5 Churchill note, followed by the £10 with Jane Austen, the £20 with JMW Turner and the £50 with Alan Turing.