Bank of England to Feature Four Animals on New Banknotes

The Bank of England has announced that four animals will be featured on redesigned banknotes in the future. The Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, and European hedgehog were selected through a public vote, although the specific banknotes on which they will appear have not yet been determined. The owl, bumblebee, and hedgehog won their respective categories in the vote, while the puffin was included to represent marine life and add variety to the notes. Victoria Cleland, the Bank's chief cashier, stated that the chosen animals highlight the diversity of UK wildlife and will enhance the security of the banknotes. A panel of wildlife experts created a shortlist of 18 species, which were then nominated by the public, resulting in over 2.5 million votes from 478,531 participants. The buff-tailed bumblebee received the most votes at 360,399, followed by the barn owl. The hedgehog was the most popular mammal. Other animals, such as the red fox and common kingfisher, received more nominations than the puffin, but the puffin was selected as the most popular marine animal. The new banknotes will feature the selected animals as central images, alongside other nature elements, while the monarch will remain on the reverse side. Rhys Phillips, the Bank's incoming chief cashier, noted that the design and production process for the new notes could take several years. The Bank aims to ensure the notes are high-quality, resilient, and accessible. Currently, wildlife appears on banknotes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but this will be the first time since 1970 that the reverse side of Bank of England notes will not feature historical figures. The current notes depict figures such as Sir Winston Churchill and Jane Austen. The decision to replace these images has drawn criticism from some politicians, including Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who described the move as misguided. The Bank stated that the change is primarily aimed at preventing counterfeiting, necessitating the replacement of images over time.