The Bank of England intends to swap out historical figures on banknotes with animals selected by the public. Notable figures like Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing will no longer appear on the £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes. Instead, the upcoming series of banknotes will showcase various UK wildlife species, including options like a dolphin, fox, butterfly, owl, bumblebee, and shark.

Each banknote in the new series will highlight a different animal, maintaining the monarch’s presence on the reverse side. The public is invited to participate in the selection process by choosing up to two animals from each of the three categories provided. The consultation period will run until 11.59pm on July 3, after which Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision based on public feedback.

Feedback is particularly sought from UK residents and British citizens overseas, who can submit their choices online or via post. The Bank plans to reveal the consultation results by the end of 2026. Victoria Cleland, the Bank of England chief cashier, expressed hope that the public will engage in the selection process to determine the animals featured in the next banknote series, showcasing the diverse wildlife heritage of the UK.

Banknotes have historically depicted renowned figures since 1970, with the current series introduced in 2016 featuring Sir Winston Churchill on the £5 notes. Despite the increasing popularity of payment technologies like contactless and mobile wallets, cash remains a preferred payment method for approximately one in seven individuals, with the total cash in circulation reaching £91.5 billion by February 2026.