Bank of England confirms the four animals to feature on new banknotes

The public have had their say on which four animals will feature on the next series of £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes.

Almost 480,000 Brits voted in a consultation launched by the Bank of England in June to decide which fauna will replace historical figures on the notes, and the results are in.

The public has voted for the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog to feature as the central images.

It has not yet been decided which of these animals will feature on each denomination.

Victoria Cleland, chief cashier at the Bank of England, said: “I am delighted that nearly half a million people responded to our wildlife imagery consultation, showing that cash still matters.

“I would like to thank everyone who engaged, including those who I met at our events. With their support, we have chosen four distinct and inspiring animals that not only showcase the great variety of wildlife we have in the UK but will also enhance the security of our banknotes.”

The Bank of England launched an initial consultation in July 2025 asking members of the public to decide which theme they wanted the new notes to follow.

In March 2026, the bank confirmed the theme was animals, with 60% of the 44,000 responses saying it was one of their preferred themes.

The new animal-based notes, which are being launched over the next few years, will come with the latest technology, making them harder to counterfeit.

How did people vote?

In the consultation earlier this summer, the Bank of England released a shortlist of 18 animals to choose from across three categories: Mammals, birds and amphibians, insects and fish.

Here is how many votes each animal received:

Mammals

• European hedgehog (259,665)
• Red fox (244,651)
• Brown hare (130,614)
• Grey seal (92,043)
• Pine marten (82,773)
• Bottlenose dolphin (48,847)

Birds

• Barn owl (270,596)
• Common kingfisher (211,277)
• Atlantic puffin (183,137)
• Great spotted woodpecker (86,839)
• White-tailed eagle (46,109)
• Eurasian curlew (44,521)

Amphibians, insects and fish

• Buff-tailed bumblebee (360,399)
• Emperor dragonfly (143,894)
• Common frog (120,382)
• Marsh fritillary butterfly (108,467)
• Basking shark (69,699)
• Atlantic salmon (45,090)

What other new banknotes have entered circulation in recent years?

A host of new banknotes featuring King Charles III’s face were launched in 2024 following his ascension to the throne in 2022.

The £5, £10, £20 and £50 denominations featured the new monarch on one side and historical figures on the other.

The £5 note was circulated with former prime minister Winston Churchill on the reverse side while the £20 note was printed with the artist J. M. W. Turner on one side.

The £10 note featured early nineteenth century author Jane Austen on the reverse side and the £50 note has mathematician Alan Turing on one side.

Some of these new notes which were the first to enter circulation have sold for thousands of pounds since being printed.

It’s not just new notes which have entered circulation since the King’s ascension to the throne – coins bearing his face started arriving at Post Office branches in late 2022.