UK public invited to choose wildlife for future banknotes as Churchill era nears end

The Bank of England has unveiled a shortlist of 18 animals, birds, fish and insects that could feature on future British banknotes, opening a public consultation that will help shape the next generation of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

Members of the public have until July 3 to vote for their preferred species from a list selected by a panel of wildlife experts, Caliber.Az reports, citing BBC.

The move marks a significant shift in the design of UK banknotes, which for decades have featured prominent historical figures on their reverse side.

Among the contenders are the common kingfisher, Atlantic puffin, red fox, European hedgehog, common frog and buff-tailed bumblebee. Voters can select up to six favourites, choosing a maximum of two species from each of three categories: mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish.

The mammal category includes the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, grey seal and pine marten, while bird contenders feature the barn owl, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker and white-tailed eagle. The final category also includes the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, emperor dragonfly and marsh fritillary butterfly.

Victoria Cleland, the Bank of England’s chief cashier, said the shortlisted species reflected the rich diversity of wildlife across the United Kingdom and encouraged the public to participate in the consultation.

The expert panel that drew up the shortlist included wildlife presenters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Nadeem Perera, alongside conservationist Katy Bell and academics Steve Ormerod and Dawn Scott.

While public feedback will inform the process, the final decision will rest with Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. The four species receiving the most votes are not guaranteed a place on the new notes.

The redesign has attracted political attention since the Bank announced earlier this year that historical figures would be removed from future notes. Critics, including several senior politicians, questioned the decision to replace figures such as wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill with wildlife imagery.

The Bank has said the redesign is part of a broader effort to enhance security features and combat counterfeiting, requiring banknote imagery to be updated periodically.

The new series will continue to feature a portrait of the monarch and imagery representing the UK’s home nations. However, it will be the first time since 1970 that historical figures no longer appear on the reverse side of Bank of England banknotes.

By Aghakazim Guliyev