Following yesterday’s update about the Bank of England’s plan to feature British wildlife on the next series of banknotes, I thought it might be interesting to imagine what that could actually look like.
So I created a simple mock-up showing a red squirrel on the £5 note.
It’s only a concept image, of course – but it does make you think.
At the moment the four Bank of England banknotes (£5, £10, £20 and £50) each feature a different historical figure: Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing. If the new wildlife series follows a similar approach, we may see four different British species across the four notes.
If that turns out to be the case, it would be wonderful to see our native red squirrel included among them.
Personally, I think the £5 or £10 would suit them particularly well – those are the notes people use and see most often. The £5 in particular has long been known as the “people’s banknote”, circulating widely in everyday life as it passes through cafés, shops and pockets across the country.
Interestingly, this will likely be the first full Bank of England banknote series issued during the reign of King Charles III, who has long supported red squirrel conservation and remains Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
Red squirrels already appear on the UK’s 2p coin – perhaps it’s time they appeared on our banknotes too.
A few of you also pointed out yesterday that red squirrels feature on the Royal Bank of Scotland £20 note. That’s true – but it’s a Scottish banknote issued by a commercial bank rather than the Bank of England series used across England and Wales. Scottish notes are valid currency, but they’re not always widely seen or accepted south of the border.
A Bank of England redesign would be something quite different – a chance for native British wildlife to appear on the national banknotes used across the whole country.
Public nominations are expected to open this summer (possibly July), and I’ll share the details with you as soon as we know more.
For now, here’s the question:
Would you like to see the red squirrel on Britain’s banknotes?
#SaveOurReds