Bank of England announces the four animals that will feature on our next series of banknotes

What happened: The Bank of England announced that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will be the central images on its next series of banknotes, following a public consultation. Key numbers: 478,531 responses to the June 2026 consultation, the most ever for a Bank banknote imagery consultation. 2,549,003 selections were placed across a shortlist of 18 animals. Why it matters: The Bank says the selected animals support counterfeit resilience and represent the UK. The first denomination from the next series is expected to launch over the next few years.

The Bank of England announced that the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will be the central images on its next series of banknotes, following a public consultation.

The Bank says the selected animals support counterfeit resilience and represent the UK. The first denomination from the next series is expected to launch over the next few years.