Bank of England opens wildlife design vote for new notes

The Bank of England has launched a public consultation to replace historical figures on its banknotes with British wildlife, marking the most significant change to the currency's design since the 1970s. A shortlist of 18 native animals, curated by a panel of wildlife experts, has been announced, and the public is invited to vote on which species will feature on the next series of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes.

The shortlist is divided into three categories: mammals, birds, and a combined category for amphibians, insects, and fish. The mammals include the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, pine marten, and red fox. The birds are the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker, and white-tailed eagle. The final category features the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, emperor dragonfly, and marsh fritillary butterfly. The public can select up to two animals from each category in the consultation, which closes on July 3.

The Bank stated that the primary reason for updating the notes is to incorporate new security features and improve counterfeit resilience, a process it undertakes...