The Bank of England has announced the start of a public consultation on the issuance of a new series of British pound banknotes. The banknotes will replace historical figures, including Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with 18 endemic species of wildlife, including a tawny owl, a barn owl, an Atlantic puffin and a frog.
Animal images are planned to be placed on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes. The animals are specifically divided into several categories, the central bank explained. “Banks of different denominations must differ significantly from each other. It is important that all four banknotes feature different animals and represent different natural habitats in the United Kingdom. "With this in mind, the Bank will not necessarily choose the four species of animals that receive the most votes. Public opinion will be taken into account by Governor Andrew Bailey, who will make the final decision," the Bank of England said. British banknotes currently feature images of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965), author Jane Austen (1775-1817), artist William Turner (1775-1851) and mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954).
The bank will make its decision public by the end of the year. The financial institution warned that work on the new series of banknotes would take years and stressed that future new issues of official banknotes would continue to feature the current monarch.