New banknotes in the UK: puffin, barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog replace the current designs

The Bank of England announced in October 2026 which animals will appear on the next series of banknotes. The overall theme will be nature, and the main images will be the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the buff-tailed bumblebee and the European hedgehog.

How the choice was made

The decision followed a public consultation in which nearly 500,000 people responded. Respondents chose from a list of 18 animals, drawn up jointly with a panel of experts on British wildlife. The list was divided into three categories: mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish.

According to the bank, the barn owl, the buff-tailed bumblebee and the hedgehog were the most popular in their categories. The puffin was chosen as the most popular sea animal. The bank explains that this will make the series more varied and the individual denominations easier to tell apart. It is also intended to allow the British coastline to be represented.

Each animal is to appear on one of four denominations: £5, £10, £20 and £50. The bank will announce later, closer to the launch, which animal will appear on which note. Besides the main designs, other elements of nature may also appear on the notes, potentially including other animals from the shortlist.

Why the change

The Bank of England says it announced work on the new series in July 2025, and that the main aim is greater resistance to counterfeiting. In the 2025 consultation, 60% of participants chose a nature theme. In March 2026 the bank announced that nature would be the overall theme. The images of animals are intended to make it easier to create security features that the public can easily recognise.

When the new banknotes will arrive

Designing, testing and printing banknotes takes several years. The bank expects the first denomination from the new series to enter circulation within the next few years. No exact date has been given.

Features for blind and partially sighted people are to be retained. The size and general colours of the notes will not change. They will still carry a portrait of the monarch.

What this means for you

For now, you do not need to do anything. Current banknotes remain in circulation, and the bank says the new denominations will only appear in a few years. When the series is introduced, the bank withdraws older notes according to a published schedule, so it is worth following Bank of England announcements at that point.