18 creatures shortlisted to feature on British banknotes – and the public can vote

The Bank of England is encouraging people to choose their favourites

The British public is being asked to pick their favourite mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and fish to appear on future banknotes. A buff-tailed bumblebee, European hedgehog and barn owl are among the creatures that could feature under plans by the Bank of England.

The central bank is working with a panel of wildlife experts from across the UK on the new design, which follows a public consultation last year. The shortlisted critters are all native to the UK and could be used on £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

“We are keen to hear your views, which will be an important consideration in making our final decision on the design,” the Bank of England said.

“The denominations (£5, £10, £20, £50) will need to be easy to tell apart. It is important that there are four distinct animals across all four denominations and that they represent different environments from across the UK.”

The list has been grouped into three categories, which cover a variety of species and environments. Members of the public can choose up to two animals from each category.

The mammals

• bottlenose dolphin
• brown hare
• European hedgehog
• grey seal
• pine martin
• red fox

The birds

• Atlantic puffin
• barn owl
• common kingfisher
• Eurasian curlew
• great spotted woodpecker
• white-tailed eagle

The amphibians, insects and fish

• Atlantic salmon
• basking shark
• buff-tailed bumblebee
• common frog
• Emperor dragonfly
• marsh fritillary butterfly

The bank said it may not necessarily choose the four animals that receive the highest number of responses. Andrew Bailey, the bank’s governor, will make the final decision while “taking into account” the public’s feedback.

“I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes,” said Victoria Cleland, the bank’s chief cashier.

“The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK.”

It will be a number of years before the next series of notes is launched. It is 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.

The next series will still include a portrait of the monarch. Representation of the Home Nations will also be an important feature in the design, the Bank of England said. Mackerel, red squirrels, otters and osprey already feature on Royal Bank of Scotland banknotes.

The outcome will be announced at the end of 2026.

The public can vote via the consultation form, by emailing enquiries@bankofengland.co.uk or writing to Banknote Imagery Consultation, Notes Directorate, Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH.