Bank of England chooses four animals for new banknotes

Summarised from Hull Daily Mail's report · Updated 12 Oct, 07:06 · Archive

The Bank of England will feature barn owls, buff-tailed bumblebees, hedgehogs and Atlantic puffins on a new series of banknotes after a public vote.

The Bank of England has chosen four wild animals to feature on a new series of banknotes following a public consultation that attracted nearly 500,000 responses. Participants selected from a shortlist of 18 animals. The animals chosen are barn owls, buff-tailed bumblebees, hedgehogs and Atlantic puffins.

The RSPCA had campaigned for the inclusion of less well-known species, arguing this could help challenge public perceptions and raise awareness of animals that are often misunderstood. Dr Rebecca Machin, wildlife expert with the RSPCA, said: 'It's important we all get to know these animals a lot better, as soon we'll be seeing them every day.' Barn owls, of which approximately 4,000 breeding pairs exist in the UK, have asymmetrical ears set at different heights on their head to help locate prey.

The Bank of England said the new notes will be launched over the coming years. The designs are still in early stages and will be unveiled closer to their launch. The process of designing, testing and printing banknotes to ensure they are high-quality, resilient and accessible takes years. The current series features historical figures including Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing.

Read the report

• Some ‘wild’ facts about the animals that will eventually be hiding in our walletsNew banknotes featuring animals on the back will be rolled out in the coming years once designs are completedHull Daily Mail · 11 Oct, 10:57

In this story: Bank of England · RSPCA · United Kingdom

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