The Bank of England has selected the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog as the central images for its next banknote series. One animal will appear on each denomination, alongside a portrait of the monarch, with the designs intended to strengthen counterfeit resilience and make denominations easier to distinguish. The selection follows a public consultation that received 478,531 responses. The barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog led their respective categories, while the Atlantic puffin was chosen as the most popular marine animal and to represent the British coastline. The Bank will determine the allocation of animals to denominations closer to launch and may incorporate other shortlisted wildlife into the wider designs. Design, security, accessibility and production work will take several years, with the first denomination expected to launch over the next few years.
Bank of England selects four UK wildlife species for next banknote series
The Bank of England has chosen the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog as the central images for its next banknote series following 478,531 consultation responses. One animal will feature on each denomination alongside the monarch, with the first new note expected over the next few years.