New banknotes: puffin, barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog

Which animals will be on the new banknotes

The Bank of England announced on 8 October 2026 that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will be the central images on its next series of banknotes. There will be one animal for each denomination of banknote. The four animals were selected after a public consultation that drew 478,531 responses, the most the Bank has ever received to a banknote imagery consultation. The Bank said the next series will continue to include a portrait of the monarch. The notes will also feature other elements from nature, potentially including other shortlisted animals. Nature was announced as the theme for the next series in March 2026.

The Bank has not yet decided which animal will appear on which denomination. That will be announced closer to launch. The Bank said it takes a number of years to design, test and print banknotes, and expects the first denomination of the next series to launch over the next few years. The Bank said a goal of the new series is to increase resilience against counterfeiting. The four animals span three categories used in the consultation: mammals, birds, and amphibians, insects and fish. The hedgehog and the bumblebee represent the mammal and insect groups, the barn owl represents birds, and the puffin adds a marine animal to the mix.

How the public voted: 478,531 responses

The public consultation ran from 3 June 2026 to 3 July 2026 and received 478,531 responses. That is the most responses the Bank has ever received to a banknote imagery consultation. Respondents chose from a shortlist of 18 animals across three categories: mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish. The shortlist was developed with a panel of UK wildlife experts. The Bank published nomination counts for the winners and runners-up, giving a detailed picture of public preference across the animal kingdom.

The buff-tailed bumblebee received 360,399 nominations, the barn owl 270,596 and the European hedgehog 259,665. Each was the most popular animal in its category. The Atlantic puffin received 183,137 nominations and was selected because it was the most popular marine animal. Runners-up included the red fox with 244,651 nominations and the common kingfisher with 211,277. The counts show that the bumblebee attracted the largest single share of nominations among the four selected animals, while the puffin secured its place as the leading marine candidate rather than as the top animal overall.

Why the puffin was chosen

The Bank said a marine animal adds variety to the series and makes the denominations easier to distinguish. The Atlantic puffin received 183,137 nominations and was selected because it was the most popular marine animal. The other three selected animals, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the barn owl and the European hedgehog, each topped their categories. The puffin therefore enters the series on a different basis from the other three, as the leading choice from the marine group rather than as the outright winner of a category.

The Bank has said the notes will also feature other elements from nature, potentially including other shortlisted animals. That leaves open the possibility that runners-up such as the red fox, with 244,651 nominations, or the common kingfisher, with 211,277 nominations, could appear in supporting design elements. The Bank has not confirmed any such details. The shortlist of 18 animals was developed with a panel of UK wildlife experts, and the consultation asked respondents to choose from that list across the three categories.

When the new notes will arrive

The Bank has not yet decided which animal will appear on which denomination. That will be announced closer to launch. The Bank said it takes a number of years to design, test and print banknotes, and expects the first denomination of the next series to launch over the next few years. No specific dates have been given. The Bank said a goal of the new series is to increase resilience against counterfeiting. The next series will continue to include a portrait of the monarch.

The notes will also feature other elements from nature, potentially including other shortlisted animals. Nature was announced as the theme for the next series in March 2026. The consultation that produced the four animals ran from 3 June 2026 to 3 July 2026 and received 478,531 responses, the most the Bank has ever received to a banknote imagery consultation. The Bank has not said when current notes will stop being valid. The design, testing and printing process means the first new denomination is expected over the next few years rather than immediately.

What the current notes show and how much cash is in use

The current series features Sir Winston Churchill on the 5 pound note, Jane Austen on the 10 pound note, JMW Turner on the 20 pound note and Alan Turing on the 50 pound note. The current 5 pound note was issued in September 2016 and the current 50 pound note in June 2021. The next series will replace these portraits with the four animals as the central images, while continuing to include a portrait of the monarch. The Bank has not said when current notes will stop being valid.

Cash in circulation reached 91.5 billion pounds at the end of February 2026. The Bank said cash remains the preferred payment method for about one in seven people. The consultation that selected the four animals received 478,531 responses, the most the Bank has ever received to a banknote imagery consultation. The Bank said a marine animal adds variety to the series and makes the denominations easier to distinguish. The Bank has not yet decided which animal will appear on which denomination, and that will be announced closer to launch.

Source: Bank of England news release, 8 October 2026.

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Frequently asked questions

Which animals will be on the next series of Bank of England banknotes?

The Bank of England announced on 8 October 2026 that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will be the central images on its next series of banknotes. There will be one animal for each denomination of banknote.

How many responses did the Bank of England consultation receive?

The public consultation ran from 3 June 2026 to 3 July 2026 and received 478,531 responses. That is the most responses the Bank has ever received to a banknote imagery consultation.

How were the four animals chosen?

Respondents chose from a shortlist of 18 animals across three categories: mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish. The shortlist was developed with a panel of UK wildlife experts. The buff-tailed bumblebee received 360,399 nominations, the barn owl 270,596 and the European hedgehog 259,665, each the most popular in its category. The Atlantic puffin received 183,137 nominations and was selected because it was the most popular marine animal.

Why was the puffin chosen if it was not the top animal overall?

The Bank said a marine animal adds variety to the series and makes the denominations easier to distinguish. The Atlantic puffin received 183,137 nominations and was selected because it was the most popular marine animal.

Which animal will be on which banknote?

The Bank has not yet decided which animal will appear on which denomination. That will be announced closer to launch.