Minutes

Item 1 – Welcome

The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming Members and outlined the purpose of the meeting. Namely, to consider the results of the 2026 banknote imagery consultation in light of the Bank’s objectives to support counterfeit resilience, and to consider which four animals to recommend to the Governor to feature as the central imagery on the next series of banknotes.

The Chair reminded Members of the Bank’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty throughout the imagery selection process.

Item 2 – Terms of Reference

Decision: Members agreed to sign off the updated Terms of Reference adding the Banknote Innovation Programme Director as a new Core Member.

Item 3 – Background

Members were reminded of the key milestones in the imagery selection process, including the recent consultation asking for the UK public’s views on a shortlist of animals which could feature as the central imagery on the next series of banknotes. Respondents were able to choose up to two animals from each of three different categories: Mammals; Birds; and Amphibians, Insects and Fish.

Members discussed the response to the public consultation, which received nearly 500,000 responses via an online survey, post, emails and phone calls. Members were pleased with the level of public engagement and suggested it showed that the theme resonated with the public.

Item 4 – Choosing which animals should feature on Series H banknotes

Members were asked to consider the Bank’s objectives that the chosen imagery supports counterfeit resilience, reflects public preference and celebrates the breadth of UK nature.

Members were encouraged to consider the four proposed animals as a set to ensure they are sufficiently varied in their forms, movements and habitats to maximise differentiation between each denomination, thereby aiding counterfeit resilience.

Members considered the results of the June 2026 public consultation and agreed on the importance of reflecting the public’s views on banknote design alongside the Bank’s wider objectives to ensure secure and resilient banknote design.

Members discussed the proposal to feature the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, and European hedgehog as the central imagery on the next series of banknotes. The Atlantic puffin would bring a marine environment that would not be possible with the fox or kingfisher, which had received more selections in their respective categories. This set would include the most popular animal from each of the three categories as well as the most popular marine animal in the shortlist.

Members considered how each of the proposed animals’ forms and habitats could be differentiated to help the public easily identify each denomination, as well as how the proposed animals’ movements could be incorporated into security features to support authentication. It may also be possible to include some of the other animals from the shortlist as secondary imagery in the final designs. This would be subject to further engagement with the members of the Banknote Imagery Expert Panel about the animals’ habitats and note design decisions later in the process.

Members concluded that the proposed set of animals met the Bank’s objectives for counterfeit resilience and took into account the outcome of the public consultation.

Decision: BIAG agreed to recommend the buff-tailed bumblebee, barn owl, European hedgehog and Atlantic puffin to the Governor as the central imagery for the four denominations of Series H.

Action: The Chief Cashier will send BIAG’s recommendation to the Governor for his indicative views ahead of engaging with the Expert Panel.

Item 5 – Next steps

Members were informed of the next steps, which includes sharing BIAG’s recommendation with the Governor and further engagement with the Expert Panel to seek their views on how the chosen animals should be depicted, including the choice of habitats to use to support differentiation. The final decision would be made by the Governor. The Bank will seek to announce the four animals to the public in the Autumn.

Attendees

Attendance

Victoria Cleland - Chief Cashier (Chair)
Katie Martin - Head of Stakeholder & Media Engagement
Nick McLaren - Head of Future of Money
Rhys Phillips - Governor’s Private Secretary
Emma Wild - Head of Notes Operations
Theodora Gkatzoflia - Banknote Innovation Programme Director
Senior Manager, Banknote Security & Design
PRA Senior Advisor

Apologies

Observers and presenters

Senior Manager, Banknote Analysis, Strategy & Engagement
Senior Programme Manager, Banknote Innovation Programme
Deputy Head of Legal
Policy Adviser, Banknote Analysis, Strategy & Engagement
Policy Adviser, Banknote Analysis, Strategy & Engagement
Banknote Design Lead, Banknote Innovation Programme
Lead PMO, Banknote Innovation Programme (Minutes)
Private Secretary to the Chief Cashier