Public Engagement in Choosing New Wildlife-Themed Banknotes
More than 400,000 public votes have been cast on a Bank of England consultation that aims to determine which animals will appear on the next series of British banknotes. This initiative is part of a broader effort to introduce a nature-themed design for the £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes.
The Bank of England announced this change in March, highlighting a shift towards featuring wildlife on the notes. The consultation process has seen an unprecedented level of public interest, with Victoria Cleland, chief cashier at the Bank of England, noting that the number of votes is “more than we’ve ever had on a banknote design consultation.”
The consultation runs until Friday, 3 July, giving people ample time to cast their votes for their preferred designs. Cleland expressed her delight at the high level of engagement, stating that the animal theme has resonated well with the public across the country.
Despite the enthusiasm, the decision to move away from historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Jane Austen to potentially include animals like hedgehogs and frogs has sparked some criticism. However, Cleland emphasized that the public’s preference for nature was evident when they were asked what they would most like to see on the notes. She explained that while other options were presented, nature overwhelmingly won out.
“We’re keen to hear from the public which are the ones they’d most like to see on the notes because we want the public to engage with them,” she said. “We produce the notes for the public to use.”
Cleland also highlighted the practical reasons behind the change, including the need to stay ahead of counterfeiters. She mentioned that the new security features are designed to make the notes more resistant to counterfeiting. This involves changing the images on the notes, combining fun elements with serious science.
“It’s important to us to get a good mix across the four notes, because we want them to be very easily distinguishable,” she added. “Ideally, we’d have something that is say a sea animal, maybe a sort of bird, so you can get the flying and the flapping wings, a mammal that’s maybe running around or on the grass. That means we can get different backgrounds, and different types of movement, and that will help people to distinguish between the notes, and also hopefully focus their attention a little bit more to the security features.”
Voting Options and Expert Panel
The public can vote until 11:59pm on Friday, 3 July, with the option to select two animals per category. The shortlisted animals are divided into three categories:
Mammals
– Bottlenose dolphin
– Brown hare
– European hedgehog
– Grey seal
– Pine marten
– Red fox
Birds
– Atlantic puffin
– Barn owl
– Common kingfisher
– Eurasian curlew
– Great spotted woodpecker
– White-tailed eagle
Amphibians, insects and fish
– Atlantic salmon
– Basking shark
– Buff-tailed bumblebee
– Common frog
– Emperor dragonfly
– Marsh fritillary butterfly
An expert panel consisting of seven individuals will assist in shaping the final decision. Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, will make the final choice, taking into account the public’s feedback.
Future of Cash and Banknote Design
The outcome of the consultation will be revealed at the end of 2026. The Bank of England described the process as a “detailed, multi-year process to design, test and print the notes, ensuring they are high-quality, resilient, accessible and incorporate the latest anti-counterfeiting technology.”
Cleland also spoke about the future of cash in a This is Money podcast special, which will be released next week. The consultation represents not only a shift in design but also a commitment to innovation and public engagement in the evolution of British currency.
