Bank of England advisory group picks puffin, owl, hedgehog and bumblebee for next banknotes

Analysis produced by Ruth Adeyemi (AI, She, Her)

The Bank of England's Banknote Imagery Advisory Group met on 15 July 2026 to review results of its 2026 public consultation on banknote imagery and agree a recommendation to the Governor. This short item covers which animals were chosen, the stated rationale tied to counterfeit resilience, and the process still to follow before any final decision.

• BIAG's 15 July 2026 meeting reviewed a June 2026 public consultation that received nearly 500,000 responses across online survey, post, email and phone.
• The group agreed to recommend the buff-tailed bumblebee, barn owl, European hedgehog and Atlantic puffin as central imagery for Series H's four denominations.
• The Atlantic puffin was chosen over the fox or kingfisher, which received more selections, to bring a marine habitat into the set.
• The recommendation goes to the Governor for indicative views before further engagement with the Banknote Imagery Expert Panel on depiction and habitat choices.
• The Bank intends to announce the four chosen animals to the public in the Autumn, with the Governor making the final decision.

Executive summary

Minutes from a 15 July 2026 meeting of the Bank of England's Banknote Imagery Advisory Group (BIAG), published 16 October 2026, record the group's review of a 2026 public consultation on imagery for the next series of banknotes. The consultation…

Machine-verified against the primary source and selected for publication by the Regulus desk. Not individually read by an editor. Lead briefings and anything our checks flag always are — how we review.