Red foxes, puffins, bottlenose dolphins, brown hares and bumblebees are among the wildlife that could feature on new UK banknotes as the Bank of England announces its shortlist to replace historical figures such as author Jane Austen, computer genius Alan Turing and statesman Sir Winston Churchill.
The Bank says the wildlife ‘provides an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the UK’.
However, the move is mainly concerned with stopping counterfeit notes being printed as the detailed imagery will be extremely difficult to forge.
New banknotes also enable updated security strips to be incorporated into their surfaces.
A public poll has been set up for people to vote on which animals they wish to see on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes between now and July 3rd
All species are native to the UK’s land and water, but the list has been criticised in public debate for the lack of a badger while the RSPCA has also objected, saying it should focus on less well-loved animals such as pigeons, rats and seagulls.
The list has been grouped into three categories: mammals, birds and one category combining amphibians, insects and fish.
It includes the Atlantic salmon and Marsh fritillary butterfly, both endangered species.
Wildlife was the most popular theme for the new UK banknotes, the Bank said, after it ran a consultation on what the next pictures should be.
It will use the public vote to choose ‘four distinct animals’ across the UK banknotes so they are easy to tell apart. This means the animals with the most votes will not necessarily be the ones chosen because some of them look too much alike. The designs will also choose different elements from nature to complement the animals chosen.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s chief cashier, said: ‘I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes. The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK.’
In Scotland, notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland already feature mackerel, otters, red squirrels and osprey.
