Belarusians gave up 'bunnies', but the British pound is going to switch to their images

Photo: Jenner Images via Getty Images

The Bank of England has launched public consultations on the design of the next series of banknotes in denominations of £5, £10, £20, and £50. All four banknotes will feature images of animals characteristic of Great Britain. The choice will be made from a pre-prepared list, compiled together with wildlife experts.

This signifies a serious departure from a tradition that has existed for more than half a century. Since 1970, the Bank of England has featured prominent figures of the country – politicians, writers, scientists, and artists – on banknotes.

The current series, gradually introduced between 2016 and 2021, is adorned with portraits of wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, writer Jane Austen, artist William Turner, and mathematician Alan Turing, one of the founders of modern computer science.

The bank decided to change its concept after a large-scale public survey. In 2025, Britons were asked to choose a theme for the new generation of banknotes. Nature received the most support. About 60% of survey participants named it one of the best options.

For comparison, architecture and landmarks scored 56%, famous historical figures – 38%, art, culture, and sport – 30%, innovation – 23%, and important historical events – 19%.

The Bank of England explains the choice by stating that wildlife is an important part of the country's national heritage. In addition, animal images are well-suited for use in modern anti-counterfeiting systems. Their forms and characteristic elements can be integrated into complex security features.

Павялічыць

A Eurasian curlew could appear on British money. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A separate animal will be chosen for each banknote. This should help people quickly distinguish banknotes of one denomination from another. At the same time, the organizers want the four images to represent different natural environments and regions of the United Kingdom.

That is why the voting results will not be the sole criterion. Even if several leaders of the survey belong to the same natural environment, the bank may choose other options for greater diversity. The final decision will be made by the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey.

A total of 18 animal species were included in the shortlist. Among mammals are the bottlenose dolphin, European hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, European pine marten, and red fox. Incidentally, the European hare is well known to Belarusians: its image adorned the one-ruble banknote of the 1992 series, due to which Belarusian money was popularly nicknamed "bunnies" for many years.

Павялічыць

Belarusian banknote of 1 ruble denomination. 1992. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Birds are represented by the Atlantic puffin, common barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker, and white-tailed eagle. The third group includes the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, emperor dragonfly, and Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia).

Павялічыць

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Voting will continue until July 3, 2026. The results are planned to be announced by the end of 2026. However, the new banknotes themselves will only appear in a few years, as their development, testing, and printing take a long time.

However, one traditional element will remain unchanged – the portrait of the British monarch will continue to be present on the new banknotes.

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