Britain is choosing the animals for its new banknotes: hedgehog, puffin and kingfisher in the final — decision by year end
The Bank of England is preparing the first complete change of banknote theme in decades: British wildlife will replace historical figures on the new notes. Over the summer the public voted on a shortlist of 18 candidates — from the hedgehog and the hare to the Atlantic puffin and the basking shark. The result is promised by the end of 2026. Here is who made the final, and what happens to the current notes.
In March 2026 the Bank of England announced the theme of its next banknote series — the wildlife of the United Kingdom — and on 3 June it published the shortlist and opened a public vote. Voting closed on 3 July, and the regulator now has the floor: the names of the four animals that will replace Churchill, Austen, Turner and Turing on the notes are promised by the end of 2026.
Who made the final?
The shortlist is strict — 18 candidates in three categories, six in each, with no write-ins allowed. Mammals: the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, pine marten and red fox. Birds: the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker and white-tailed eagle. The third category — 'amphibians, insects and fish': the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, Emperor dragonfly and marsh fritillary butterfly. Everyone could pick up to two candidates per category — online or by post.
Who decides, and when do the new notes arrive?
Formally the final word belongs to Governor Andrew Bailey: he will take the public's votes into account, though the Bank has warned honestly that the four most popular animals will not necessarily win. Each of the four denominations — £5, £10, £20 and £50 — will get its own animal. There will be no quick swap: after the winners are named, a multi-year design and production cycle begins, so the new notes will not reach wallets tomorrow.
What happens to today's banknotes?
Nothing alarming: there are 4.98 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, worth about £91.5 billion, and all remain legal tender. Two portraits currently live side by side — Elizabeth II and Charles III (the King's notes have been issued since 5 June 2024, with no design changes). For a full guide to the current notes — who is on them, how to check they are genuine and where to take old paper pounds — see our explainer; and for how the Bank sets interest rates, our piece on the September decision: the next Bank Rate announcement is on 5 November.
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